


Everybody Here Wants You

by littlebitlostandfound



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Anxiety, Burlesque AU, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, F/F, Flirting, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Sex, Minor Violence, Panic Attacks, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:02:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 38,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23789782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebitlostandfound/pseuds/littlebitlostandfound
Summary: Anne is a Burlesque dancer trying to make ends meet. When Cathy Parr visits the club to find inspiration for her next work, she gets more than what she came for.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine Parr
Comments: 152
Kudos: 369





	1. Twenty-Nine Pearls In Your Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here's the Burlesque AU that literally nobody asked for. I've written this a few months back, but have never gotten around to releasing it since it was such a huge departure from my fluffy one-shot works. This is a full length chapter story (my first, actually!), and as always, feedback is much appreciated. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Standby cue 74, Lady Temptress track.”

Anne inhales deeply.

It’s showtime.

She’s done this countless of times before. She plasters on a mischievous smirk as she waits for the curtains to rise. When the opening beats play out, her hips start to sway to the music, her hands roaming her body to further sell her routine.

As the song progresses, more articles of her costume get stripped down, starting from her gloves to her tear-away skirt. She turns around, toying with the laces on her corset, giving the audience a wink before shimmying out of it.

Fully knowing that she has the audience eating from the palm of her hand, she goes down to the floor area to further tempt and tease. She approaches unassuming patrons, fixing their collars and wrapping her feather boa around their necks, getting as close to them as possible before strutting away.

She parades around a bit more, removing her pearl necklace and putting it on some random woman, blowing her a kiss before heading back on stage to remove her last costume piece. Goaded on by wolf whistles and cheers, she unclasps her bra, leaving her bare in a bejeweled g-string and nipple pasties.

The audience cheers impossibly louder, and Anne drinks up their energy as much as she can. She spots the tip hat being passed around, and she tries not to let the disappointment show on her face as she bows and makes her exit. She immediately drops her stage smile and Aragon, the owner of the club and all-around backstage mum, approaches her with a bottle of water and her headpiece for the next group routine. 

“It’s a good crowd tonight, what’s wrong?” Aragon asks, seeing how quickly her expression changed. “You’ve got a full two numbers to talk.”

“I’m still buzzing, the crowd’s great,” Anne reassures her, taking a huge gulp of water. They walk over to her station and she quickly rolls on her fishnet stockings. “And no ass or tit grabs, either.”

“Then why the long face, sugar?” Aragon almost coos, standing up to zip the back of Anne’s costume. Anne turns around and Aragon pushes her breasts closer together before hiking her corset up, making her laugh. “That oughta help.”

“I didn’t see a lot of people come up to put tips in the hat, that’s all,” Anne finally admits, running her fingers through her hair. “Should I add something to my routine? Y’know, let them slip notes in my bra?”

“As much as I’d love to allow it, I didn’t implement a ‘no-touch’ policy for no reason.” Aragon reminds her, and Anne sobers immediately. One of the girls had almost quit because of constant groping and articles of her costume being pulled at even when when she wasn’t doing a striptease routine. Aragon remedies it by announcing the new house rules at the top of every show, and even posts it on the club’s social media pages.

There were still a few rule-breakers here and there, but it never got as bad as it used to anymore.

“I’m sorry, it was a stupid idea,” Anne berates herself, starting to walk to the stage area until she feels a light slap on her ass, making her jump in surprise.

“Hey, I don’t want that kind of talk here,” Aragon says sternly, but she means well. She always means well. “I’ll see what I can do, alright? Now go, you have ten seconds.”

“Thanks, Aragon,” Anne smiles, quickly stealing a kiss on her cheek before running off. Aragon watches her get into her position from the wings before wrapping her arms around herself, trying to keep her emotions in check.

She hates seeing any of her girls struggle financially, especially when most of them are so dependent on their performance salaries.

Aragon built Club Q from the ground up a couple years back, and of everything she’s accomplished, she treasures her girls more than anything. She tries her best to pay them well and is almost always on time, taking funds from her personal account just to make sure they’re all properly compensated. The girls know that Aragon has been struggling to get the club to take off for years now, given that her vision of a Burlesque supper club was such a niche market to be tapping into, but over the years, they’ve managed to gain a small yet steady following.

It’s not much, but Aragon will take what she can get.

Anne makes a beeline towards the bar during intermission, asking for her usual drink when a middle-aged man comes by, sitting on the barstool next to her.

“Great performance up there,” He compliments, but his eyes were trained on her cleavage. _Figures._ “Do you do private events? Say, for party of one?”

Anne taps her nails on the bar counter impatiently, wanting to hide backstage and nurse her drink in silence for the remainder of her break. She gives him a once over and resists the urge to scrunch her nose.

“No, I don’t,” Anne smiles as politely as she can. “I hope you have a good evening.”

“Oh, I hope so,” The man grins darkly, his crooked teeth showing. “Come have dinner with me. I’ll pay.”

Anne grabs her drink from the bartender, thanking him quickly before standing up from her seat. The man moves forward, settling his hand on the small of her back, and a wave of fear washes over Anne.

“Wait, come back, we’re not done here,” The man pushes, his traveling lower to grope her ass. “You haven’t answered me yet.”

“I can’t. Sorry,” Anne manages to choke out, swallowing thickly before gently shoving him away and taking the long route to the backstage entrance so he couldn’t follow her back. The minute she gets to her station, she takes a long swig from her drink, trying to calm her racing heart.

“You do know you can order drinks from back here,” Anna, one of the performers, informs her, raising her glass and motioning her head to look at one of the waiters placing a tray of various drinks on a vacant table. “You’re always going out for yours. Are you eyeing someone?”

“Oh, God, no,” Anne shakes her head violently, taking a larger gulp from her drink. “And I know that, just needed to stretch my legs a bit. Big mistake, though. Caught me a pervert.”

“Yikes,” Anna shakes her head, raising her glass up. “Order your drinks backstage from now on, alright, babes? You can stretch your legs perfectly fine here.”

“If I had legs like Miss Annie’s, I know I’d be showing them off all day,” Kit, one of the newer girls, pipes up from the station next to her, staring at her with an adoring look on her face. Anne blushes, throwing a bottle of mascara at her arm.

“Ow!” Kit grumbles, and Anne only laughs. “No, but really!”

“You’re too sweet, you know that?” Anne smiles, standing up to down her drink and placing it on the waiter’s tray. “And Kit, I’ve told you. Drop the miss, it makes me feel old.”

“Sorry, Mi—Annie!” Kit squeaks, and Anne ruffles her hair before going back to her station to retouch her make up.

Second act carries on without a hitch, and by around 1am, Anne and the rest of the performers start to pack up their belongings to head home. She removes her make up and changes into more comfortable clothing before slinging her large dance bag over her shoulder and stopping by Aragon’s office to collect her tips for the night.

“Knock knock,” Anne says, opening the door and letting herself in. Aragon hands her an envelope and Anne immediately counts her earnings, smiling at bit.

“You mentioned that not a lot tipped, but those few sure are big spenders,” Aragon grins. “I’ve also maybe added a bit in there to help you out.”

“Oh, Aragon, you didn’t have to,” Anne protests, trying to pull out notes to return but quickly remembers that she has no idea how much she’s added. “Tell me how much, or wait. No, just deduct it from my salary. Please, you need it. I’m sorry for bringing it up, I—,”

“Darling, it’s okay, really,” Aragon interrupts, standing up and walking around her desk to bring her into a hug. “I know you need it more than I do.”

Aragon gives her a knowing look, and Anne nods, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“Thanks again, Aragon,” Anne smiles, heading to the door but turns to give her a final glance. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Anne takes the bus and walks two blocks from the station, and then another three flights of stairs up the apartment to her level. She makes a quick turn and knocks on the door, waiting for a few moments before it opens to reveal Jane, her only friend apart from the people she worked with at the club.

“Hey, Anne, right on time,” Jane smiles, still looking very awake despite the ungodly hour. She lets Anne in and she heads straight to the couch, kneeling down to caress her daughter’s sleeping face.

“Hey, El,” Anne whispers, kissing her forehead. She opens her bag to get her tip envelope, pulling out a fifty and extending it to Jane.

“Anne, I’ve told you a hundred times, you don’t have to pay me to watch her,” Jane protests, but Anne stands up, gathering her daughter in her arms before leaving the note on the coffee table.

“Yes, I do,” Anne doesn’t make room for more argument. “Plus, it was a good tip night. Consider me sharing it with you.”

“Oh, you,” Jane shakes her head, an amused smile on her face. “We’ll be baking tomorrow. I’ll make sure to set some aside.”

“Thanks, Jane,” Anne manages before heading out. She turns the corner and swears under her breath at the paper taped to her door, fiddling with the knob before taking the notice down and tossing it aside. She sets her daughter down in her room, tucking her under the covers and staring at her sleeping form for a while.

“Sleep tight, baby,” Anne whispers, brushing the stray hairs away from her face and kissing her forehead.

Her daughter, Elizabeth, was the sole reason why she sticks to a routine, why she’s always rushing straight home. The only person from the club who knows about her was Aragon, and Anne makes sure that it stays that way.

Her girl was her pride and joy, and despite all her shortcomings, she knows that she wouldn’t have survived or be as put together if it weren’t for her. There was a tiny life so dependent on her, and by hell, was she going to try her best to provide.

Anne heads out of her room and pulls out the sofa bed in the living area, not bothering to change out of her clothes anymore. She removes her bra from under her shirt and plops down, making herself as comfortable as she can under the thin covers before finally nodding off to a restless sleep.

The peace doesn’t last long.


	2. A Singing Smile

Anne gets woken up a few hours later by her ring tone. She groggily rolls out and fishes for the phone, releasing her yawn before accepting the call.

“H’llo?” Anne slurs sleepily.

“Hi Ms. Boleyn, it’s Mark,” _Shit, the landlord._ “I really hate to be calling about it but we really need you to pay your dues.”

“Hi, yeah. Sorry, Mark,” Anne stumbles, sobering a bit. “Money’s just a bit slow, I promise I’ll pay by next week.”

“Did you read the notice?” Mark asks, starting to have a clipped edge to his tone. “You haven’t paid last month and missed the deadline for this one. I’m sorry, Ms. Boleyn, but if you don’t come up by the end of the week, I’m going to have to evict you from the property.”

“What?” Anne cries out, sitting down on the edge of the sofa bed. “Shit. Shit, okay. I’ll…I’ll get it to you by Friday.”

“Thank you.”

The call ends, and Anne stares at the wall blankly. She heads over to her dresser and opens the lowest drawer, digging through her folded clothes to get a ziplock baggie with her savings from the past week. She counts the total, adding in her earnings from last night, and she’s still a few hundreds short of two months worth of rent.

Anne sighs deeply, taking a hundred from the loot and placing it in her wallet before hiding her stash back in the dresser.

Anne heads to the kitchen and quickly realizes that she needed to go grocery shopping, seeing that they were low on food. She takes the remaining slices of bread, toasting then buttering them, and fries up the lone egg that she found in the fridge.

As she was frying, she feels a nudge on her thigh and her hand immediately comes down to caress the back of her little girl’s head.

“Morning, baby, did you sleep well?” Anne keeps her voice low, combing her fingers through her hair as she focused on the skillet. Elizabeth wraps her an arm around her thigh, bringing her other hand up to put her thumb in her mouth.

“Use your words, El,” Anne reminds her, and Elizabeth clutches the cloth of her sweatpants tightly, pressing her forehead against her hip. Anne brushes her fingers against the back of her neck, making her giggle slightly. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth whispers into her sweatpants, and Anne smiles, sliding the egg from the skillet next to the toast.

“Atta girl. You know how much mama loves to hear your voice,” Anne encourages, walking over to their dining area, which was a medium-sized folding table against the wall and wooden stools. Elizabeth starts to eat after Anne places the plate in front of her, and when she sees her not doing the same, she takes a slice of bread and offers it to her.

“I’m not hungry. All yours,” Anne reassures her, but Elizabeth presses, holding the piece of toast in front of her.

Elizabeth looks at her with pleading eyes, her bottom lip almost jutting out. Anne exhales in defeat, taking the food from her outstretched hand.

“Thank you, El,” Anne looks at the sorry excuse of a breakfast she put together, and makes it her personal mission to work harder, even if it meant picking up odd jobs here and there.

Her daughter deserves that much.

After their reluctantly shared breakfast, they get ready to head out to buy groceries from a nearby mart. Anne makes sure to stock up on canned food and staples like pasta and bread, wanting to stretch out her money as much as she can.

Elizabeth points to a cereal box that she recognized from the telly, pulling at Anne’s shirt to let her know about it. Anne checks the price—it doesn’t cost much, but it does set her back a few pounds and she couldn’t afford to stray from her list.

“We’ll get it next time, alright?” Anne looks down at her daughter, bracing herself for a violent reaction or a tantrum. But Elizabeth just nods, seemingly content with the promise.

Anne manages to buy enough groceries to last them a good two weeks before heading back to the flat. She makes pasta for lunch, and pulls out a small chocolate bar as a treat.

Elizabeth grins widely at the sight of the sweet, and she holds her arm out, opening and closing her hand.

“What do you say?” Anne prompts, and Elizabeth jumps down from her seat to walk over to Anne, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her on the lips.

“That works too,” Anne chuckles, pressing the chocolate bar into her open palm. “We really have to work on your talking, baby. I know it’s scary, but it’s just me and I love hearing your thoughts. Try for me next time, okay?”

Elizabeth nods, returning back to her seat and carefully placing her chocolate bar on the table. Anne unwraps the candy bar for her while she places the dirty dishes in the sink, and her heart grips at the way she takes the tiniest bites, knowing that she’s going to try to make it last for as long as she can.

Late afternoon rolls around, and Anne starts to pack her things for the club. Elizabeth sits on the edge of the sofa, watching her silently as she kicks her little legs back and forth.

“Jane told me you’re going to be baking today. Are you excited?” Anne asks, and she looks up just to see her daughter shrug in reply. “Well, I’m excited for you. Will you leave me some to taste when I get home?”

Elizabeth nods, playing with the loose threads of her shirt. Anne senses her somber mood and she sighs, putting her things down.

“El, we’ve talked about this,” Anne starts, and Elizabeth immediately clams up, her hands clawing at the upholstery. Anne crawls forward and takes her in her arms, settling her on her lap. She keeps her palms open and resting on her knees, allowing Elizabeth to grab her fingers and squeeze and much as she can. “Hey, baby, baby, it’s okay. Let it out.”

Elizabeth calms down after a while, slumping against her mother’s chest but still holding on to her thumbs. Anne ducks her head down to press her lips against the crown of her daughter’s head.

“Are you feeling better?” Anne whispers gently, and Elizabeth slowly nods her head. She releases one of Anne’s hands to put her thumb in her mouth. “Okay, that’s good.”

Elizabeth touches Anne’s dance bag before looking up at her with tired but inquisitive eyes.

“I have to go to work,” Anne affirms, and Elizabeth’s frown deepens. “It’s the same thing on most days. You stay with Jane while I work, and then I pick you up while you’re asleep so you can wake up in your room.”

Elizabeth stares at her for a few moments before standing up from her place on her lap and attempting to fit herself inside her large bag. She gets a giggle out of Anne, and she smiles a bit, too.

“Where I work is not a place for kids, El,” Anne says sadly, helping her take out her foot from her bag. “I don’t like leaving as much as you do.”

Elizabeth wraps her arms around her neck, nuzzling her nose against her cheek.

“I know, I know,” Anne sighs, zipping up her dance bag. She stands up, slinging her bag over her shoulder before holding her hand out for her daughter to take. Anne makes sure to double check if she’s locked the door and they walk the short distance to Jane’s flat.

Jane opens the door, a serene smile on her face. Anne greets her first with a hug before crouching down to her daughter’s level.

“Alright, give Mama a kiss,” Anne says, opening her arms. Elizabeth runs into them, pressing tiny kisses on Anne’s cheeks and lips. “I love you. Be good for Jane.”

“She’s always an angel,” Jane brushes the comment off, ushering Elizabeth inside. “Take care!”

Anne makes the commute to the club, ending up a few minutes late to her call time. She drops her bag on the floor by her station after signing in and rushes to the stage area, relieved to know that they haven’t started yet.

“Glad you could join us, Anne,” Aragon says, nodding in understanding when she shoots her an apologetic look. Aragon turns her attention to the group. “I want to clean up the stage traffic for the Act 2 opening, you were all over the place.”

Anne loses herself in rehearsal, taking mental notes and looking at what she can improve to strengthen her performance. Her flat was on the line, and she was determined to rake up as much as she can.

During her performance, she plays up the crowd with the most passion she’s ever exerted into a routine. She sways her hips as if she was moving through thick honey, her face pulling the most seductive looks she can muster. She teases the living daylights out of the patrons, leaning as close as she can for almost-kisses and sitting on their laps. When she’s back on stage and left in her nipple pasties, she takes a deep breath and twirls her tassels before she bows, earning loud wolf-whistles and applauses from the audience.

Her face brightens at the amount of people placing notes into the tip hat, blowing a flying kiss to the crowd before making her exit.

“Good crowd?” Aragon asks, and Anne only nods.

“Generous.”

When Anne collects her tips at the end of the night, Aragon didn’t expect a frown to grace her features.

“That little tassel trick really did them in,” Aragon compliments. Anne hums in acknowledgement, still counting the bills from the envelope. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m behind on rent,” Anne admits, hating the way her throat closed up so quickly. “I danced my tits off tonight because if I don’t pay my landlord at the end of the week, we’re going to get evicted.”

“Oh, no,” Aragon frowns, standing up to pull Anne into a tight hug. Anne lets herself cry into her shoulder, gasping out in sobs. “Shh, it’s alright, mija. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, no, you’re doing so much already,” Anne sniffles, wiping her tears with the heel of her palm. “I just have to perform like that for the next three days and that should be enough to cover everything.”

“Okay, okay, if you’re sure.” Aragon asks again, running her hands up and down Anne’s forearms. “Hug your baby tight tonight. And give her a kiss from me, too. That should do you some good.”

Anne chuckles dryly.

She really hopes so.


	3. Your Flame In Me

“You looked beautiful up there.”

Despite Anna’s protests, Anne still preferred to get her drinks from the bar during intermission. It allowed her to gauge the crowd better and interact with first-time and loyal patrons.

“Oh, thank you.” Anne looks at him and recognizes him immediately. He was a regular patron, coming in once or twice a week and usually with a couple buddies in tow, and has held a few parties in the club. Still, his name escapes her. “I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

“I can’t keep calling you Lady Temptress,” He chuckles, looking her in the eyes. “Can I have a name?”

“Sorry, that’s all you’re gonna get for now,” Anne teases back, enjoying the fact that his eyes didn’t wander even once. “If you leave a tip, I might just tell you.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” He pulls out a fifty, handing it to her. “Will this suffice?”

Anne wasn’t about to decline, especially when she needed it so desperately. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she takes the cash, making sure to brush his fingers, before folding the notes and sliding it into her bra.

“Name’s Anne.” She relents, holding her hand out for him to shake. He takes her hand and presses his lips against her knuckles.

“Harry.”

The bartender taps the counter to get her attention, and he points to the stage, silently signaling her to return. Anne downs the rest of her drink and starts to make her way back until she feels a light grip on her wrist.

“I know you have to go, but after you’re done, would you like to go out with me?” Harry asks, his tone low and he looks almost bashful. “Nothing fancy, I’ll take care of everything.”

There was something in his eyes that looked genuine, and she decided to give him a chance.

“Alright, I’ll meet you here after my set,” Anne promises, and she sprints backstage to get ready for second act opening.

“Anne, where were you? I thought I said—,” Anna starts to berate, but when she sees the dopey grin on her face, she cuts herself off. “Oh, no. I know that look.”

“Nothing serious, just some nice guy I saw at the bar, we’re going out after this.” Anne tells her, retouching her lipstick. “He’s a regular patron, Harry.”

“I don’t know a regular named Harry,” Anna questions warily. “What’s he look like? Red hair, really tall, pasty white?”

“Hey! That’s…actually pretty accurate,” Anne shakes her head, and Anna pulls her up and holds her by the shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“Christ, Anne, thank God I asked,” Anna exhales. “His real name’s Henry. Don’t meet up with him, don’t get close to him, don’t even associate yourself with him.”

“What, why? He seemed like a nice guy,” Anne doesn’t know where this defensiveness was coming from. If anything, she was often the first to agree with Anna in calling out men’s bullshit. “Is he really that bad?”

“How could you not know? He’s the reason why we have the no-touch policy in the first place.” Anne was taken aback at Anna’s revelation. “He may seem kind and respectable at first, but who knows what he’s capable of. ”

“Men really are shit,” Anne mutters. “Thanks for telling me, Anna. I’ll tell him I can’t stay.”

“You’re not telling him anything. You’re going to ghost him.”

Before Anne could talk about basic human decency, the stage manager calls out three minutes to places, and they all rush towards the stage to preset. Anne puts on a brave face, scanning the crowd as she performs and spots Henry immediately. He watches her dance like she was the most enchanting person in the room, and she couldn’t seem to believe Anna’s warnings.

But then again, she’s always been nice about things. Always too trusting.

She toughs it out until the final bows, and the minute she steps off stage, she changes into her usual shirt and sweatpants. She was about to remove her make up when she sees a tall figure through her mirror, and she turns around to find Henry there with a shy smile on his face.

“Hi, sorry, I know you said to meet at the bar but I couldn’t wait any longer.” He admits, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. “You were magnificent.”

“And you aren’t allowed backstage.” Anne hears Aragon’s voice from the corner, but Henry doesn’t budge. “Please leave my girls to fix their things in peace.”

“Aragon, always a pleasure to see you,” Henry smirks, walking forward to embrace her but she keeps her arms crossed in front of her chest. “No hug? Okay, I respect that.”

“I’m sorry, I was about to tell you that something came up at home,” Anne doesn’t look at his face, not wanting him to see through her excuse. “I have to go.”

“Oh, I’ll be happy to bring you home,” Henry offers, clearly not taking no for an answer. “Get some food in you first, you must be starving.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Anne grits through her teeth, turning around to continue swiping at her face with a make up wipe. She would usually find this endearing, but he’s coming off stronger than when she first met him at the bar and at this point, she was just irritated. “I’ll be fine.”

“No, but I insist,” Henry pushes, placing a firm hand on her shoulder, and Anne immediately peels it away.

“Take a fucking hint, she said no,” Anna hollers out from behind them, and Henry’s eyes darken, his smile starting to resemble a menacing snarl.

“Okay, okay. I know when I’m not wanted,” Henry relents, but he leans down to whisper into Anne’s ear. “You’ll pay for this.”

Henry straightens up and heads to the door, casting a loaded look towards Anne before finally making his exit. Anne releases the breath she didn’t know she was holding, running her hands through her hair.

“What did he say to you?” Aragon asks. She’s decided to give the envelopes to the girls rather than the other way around tonight, and it was a good call that she did. “I really need to up the security around here.”

“It’s not important, he’s just an entitled nice guy. It’s alright. I’m alright,” Anne reassures her, removing the last bit of her lipstick before pulling her hair up into a ponytail. “What’s in the envelope?”

“Nothing much, just your earnings,” Aragon teases, pulling the envelope away when Anne grabs for it. “Ah-ah, what do you say?”

“Oh, you’re worse than me,” Anne laughs, snatching the envelope and quickly sifting through the notes. It was just a little below what she made the night before, but she was already nearing her goal so she wasn’t in a position to complain.

“Take care going home tonight, Anne.”

Anne knows that she lives in a constant state of paranoia—always looking behind her back, never being on her phone in case something happens—and it’s even harder to shake off with the ominous words Henry whispered to her, looming over her like he was going to appear at any given moment and attack her when she least expects it.

When Anne collects Elizabeth from Jane’s flat, she was surprised to see her still awake. Barely holding on, but awake, nonetheless.

“I’m sorry, I tried everything. It seems that she just wants to wait up for you,” Jane apologizes, and Anne nods in understanding, lifting a drowsy Elizabeth up into her arms. Jane takes the small tupperwarefilled with cupcakes from the coffee table and places it in Anne’s large bag. Anne shifts Elizabeth to her hip and her free hand reaches into her pocket for cash, but Jane was already pushing them outside.

“Not necessary, love you both, good night!” Jane says in a rush, closing the door before Anne could do anything else. Anne laughs a bit before walking back to their flat, immediately locking the door and heading towards her daughter’s room. Anne settles her down, gently tucking her in.

“Why’d you wait up for me, hmm?” Anne asks, kneeling to meet her daughter face to face. “It’s almost three in the morning.”

Elizabeth hides her face into her pillow, shaking her head. Anne leans forward to kiss her cheek, but when she tries to stand up, Elizabeth pulls her back down.

“Miss you, Mama.” Elizabeth breathes out, balling Anne’s shirt in her fist.

Anne could count on her fingers the amount of times Elizabeth had said her name, and she cries every single time. Today was not an exception.

“Oh, El,” Anne smiles through her tears, moving Elizabeth’s tiny form to the side to lie down next to her. Elizabeth snuggles up immediately, burying her face into her chest. “Mama misses you too.”

When Anne feels that Elizabeth was asleep, she starts to get up from her tiny bed, stretching her back out from being hunched over for so long. She was too tired to pull out the sofa bed, and seeing that she only had four more hours to sleep, she curls her knees in as she tries to get as comfortable as she can on the sofa.

Two more days, then she can breathe easier.

Sleep overtakes her the minute she closes her eyes.


	4. I'm A Stranger In This Town

The minute Cathy stepped inside the club, she immediately wanted to leave.

“This was a mistake, I can’t—,” Cathy starts, overwhelmed by the new environment she was in. She’s never been a social person, opting to stay at home rather than go out on a weekday night to get properly smashed. If she was going to get drunk, she’d rather do it in a safe place. “I take whatever I said last week back. I don’t want to do this anymore. Let’s go.”

“Cathy, you sit your ass down or so help me, I will tie you to the chair,” Beni, her editor, threatens, and Cathy squeaks, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “You asked for this, you can’t pull out now.”

“I thought this was going to be so much more manageable in theory,” Cathy sighs, taking a long sip from her drink in hopes of it calming her down.

Cathy was a novelist and was known for going the extra mile when it came to researching for material to make her work more authentic. She had mentioned the idea of writing a new book based on the local adult entertainment scene to her editor, who initially gunned down the idea, but in turn made her want to pursue it even more.

In an attempt to sway her editor, she asked her if she wanted to get drinks sometime in the week at any bar of her choice, and she immediately agrees, knowing that Cathy wanting to go out was a rare occurrence.

“Why a burlesque club, by the way?” Cathy asks, reaching out for a chip. She’s already on her second drink, and has noticeably become more comfortable. “I mean, there are so many bars in the area and this is literally the only burlesque-centric one that exists. Why bring us here?”

”It’s gotten good reviews,” Beni shrugs. “Also, it feels tame. Thought I’d ease you in before we get to actual strippers. Turns out these ones just do strip-tease.”

“How thoughtful.” Cathy grumbles, and Beni throws a chip at her cheek. The lights dim down, and she takes a swig at her drink. “This had better be good.”

A matronly woman comes out on stage, approaching the standing microphone.

“Welcome everyone to Club Q, my name is Aragon, owner of the house.” Aragon speaks into the microphone with confidence and familiarity. “We’ve got a spectacular show lined up for you, but let me run down a few rules so we can all enjoy the night.”

“Do not be alarmed when the performers approach you, it’s all in good fun. You may look, but you certainly cannot touch. Like in any theater, photo and video recording is not allowed. When there is a solo act, a tip hat will be passed around until the end of the number, so show your love by tipping generously.” Aragon adds, then with a smile, opens her arms out to the audience. “But above all else, we’re here to have a great time! Queens? Show them how it’s done.”

The curtains rise, revealing a group of scantily clad women in provocative poses. The music starts, and the minute they started to dance, Cathy was entranced.

It was more than she had expected, and she certainly didn’t expect to be so invested in the artistry of it all in such a short amount of time. She was still overwhelmed, but with the delightful buzz of the alcohol and the tantalizing show in front of her, she couldn’t help but beam.

“I need to write about this,” Cathy leans over to speak into Beni’s ear, her eyes still trained on the stage. “I don’t wanna do the other things anymore. I want this.”

“This is only the first number,” Beni laughs, and Cathy slaps her arm in mock-offense. “Rude.”

“Shh!”

The group settles into a their final pose, and Cathy claps until her palms are numb. Almost immediately, the curtain drops and a leg peeps through, and then a gloved arm. Cathy swallows her gasp at the sight in front of her.

She was stunning.

“She looks just like a pin-up model,” Beni whispers, but Cathy doesn’t pay her any attention, her eyes transfixed on the woman in front of her. She makes eye contact with the woman on stage, and she smirks, staring right at her as she removes her glove with her teeth.

Beni looks over at Cathy, who was holding her drink but was spilling it onto the floor. She chuckles as she takes her glass, breaking Cathy out of her reverie.

“Ah, shit, sorry!” Cathy jumps, but her eyes go back to the woman. She had her back to the audience now, and she could have sworn that she winked at her before shimmying out of her corset, not leaving much to her imagination when she turns around.

“Christ, she’s gorgeous,” Cathy exhales, and her heart races when she sees her going down the stage. She stares as she fixes the collars of a few patrons before she was headed straight to her. With a teasing grin, the woman pushes the chair out and straddles Cathy’s lap, wrapping her arms around her neck.

“Hey, baby doll,” The woman whispers into her ear, bouncing on her lap twice before standing up, leaning forward to steal a sound kiss on her cheek. She motions a furiously blushing Cathy to stand up, and quickly grabs her hands and puts them on her swaying hips, leading them towards her ass.

“It’s okay,” She whispers, noticing her hesitation. Cathy gulps as she gives her cheeks a light squeeze, and Anne giggles, taking her hands off her body and kissing her knuckles before letting her sit down again. When the woman turns around to return to the stage, Cathy slumps against her seat, seemingly catatonic.

The woman removes her bra, leaving her in nipple pasties with tassels hanging from each one. She gives each of them a twirl before taking her bow, and Cathy stands up from her seat, cheering as loudly as she can. The woman spots her in the audience, and she blows her a kiss before disappearing through the side of the stage.

“Tip for Lady Temptress?” A man who was roving approaches her, and Cathy manages to fish her wallet out with shaking hands and throwing in a sizable wad of cash. Beni shakes her head at the pathetic display of adoration.

“Someone’s whipped.” Beni comments, and Cathy shoves her from across the table.

“Beni, I still can’t breathe after that. Holy shit,” Cathy marvels. Beni orders a margarita pitcher for the table and she hands a glass to her. “I need to know her name, at least. Ask if she can do an interview or something.”

“Hun, with the way you look at her, I know you want more than an interview.” Beni calls out, and Cathy feels herself blushing again.

Cathy still watches with rapt interest for the remainder of the first act, but her mind still keeps coming back to the first woman, the Lady Temptress. She feels herself getting slightly lightheaded from all the alcohol so she switches to drinking water for the time being.

They announce a half-hour intermission, and Cathy stands up to stretch her legs.

“I’ll just go to the bathroom real quick,” Cathy informs Beni before walking towards the restrooms next to the bar area. While waiting in line, she spots the woman walking towards the counter, leaning her body against it as she orders a drink.

She had half a mind to approach her—her bladder wasn’t _that_ full—but before she could move her feet, a man had come up, slightly blocking her view. A woman leaves the bathroom and she moves further in line, giving her a better angle of her face.

If there’s anything she’s learned from writing people, it’s picking up on social cues. And the woman was most definitely not comfortable with her new companion.

With a deep breath and half-drunken confidence, she marches up to the pair, looking at the woman and pretending that she’s known her all her life.

“Hey, oh my God, I’ve missed you!” Cathy’s voice was up two octaves. She grabs the woman’s arm and looks her in the eye with a pointed look, and the woman smiles back.

“I’m so glad to see you! It’s been so long,” The woman plays along. The bartender sets her drink on the counter and Anne quickly swipes it away. She looks over Cathy’s shoulder and raises her drink to the man. “If you don’t mind, I’ve got some catching up to do.”

The woman takes her hand and leads her outside, and she looks through the window to see the man huffing as he angrily stomps away.

“Hey, thank you for that,” The woman looks at her gratefully, and Cathy gives her a shy smile. “My name’s Anne, by the way. I, um, I’m sorry if I singled you out earlier.”

“Women have to stick together, you know?” Cathy holds her hand out. “I’m Cathy. And it’s, um, it’s fine. I…I quite liked it.”

“I’m glad to hear then, Cathy,” Anne reaches her hand up to cup her cheek. “Will you be staying for the second act?”

“Yes, of course! It’s my first time watching everything and it’s all so beautiful,” Cathy gushes, and Anne giggles at her enthusiasm. “I’m completely enamored.”

“I need to head back, but it’s nice talking to you, Cathy,” Anne trails her hand down to hold hers, squeezing it slightly. “And thank you again, for earlier.”

“Can I get your number?” Cathy blurts out, and she wanted the ground to swallow her whole right then and there. “If…if it’s alright with you, I mean. I don’t want to be pushy.”

“You’re a breath of fresh air, you know that?” Anne grins before letting it falter. “I don’t have a pen or my phone with me, I—,”

“I do,” Cathy says, almost eagerly, reaching into her pocket to pull out a pen. “Occupational hazard.”

Anne smiles fondly as Cathy pulls up her shirt sleeve to let her write her number on it. Anne places the pen back in Cathy’s pocket and takes her hand again, kissing her knuckles.

“Break a leg,” Cathy tells her, and Anne blows her a kiss as she walks away.

Cathy comes back inside the club, relieved to find the line to the bathroom down to two people. She goes back in line and does her business before returning to her seat with Beni.

“That took a while, I thought you’d ditched me,” Beni frowns over-dramatically, making Cathy laugh. She takes her phone out and copies the number on her arm, adding it to her contacts before anything could happen to it.

When the show ends, Cathy gives them a standing ovation during their bows. She doesn’t wait up for Anne after the show as much as she wanted to because she doesn’t want to freak her out, but she promises herself to return tomorrow night.

Beni brings Cathy home just before three in the morning. She goes straight into her study, typing out every single detail that her mind latched on to.

That night, Cathy writes about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cathy finally makes an appearance! Thank you so much for the warm reception for this fic, I really appreciate it. <3


	5. I Sit Here Proud

Anne wakes up that morning with a stiff neck.

“Shit,” Anne mutters under her breath, trying to stretch her neck to ease the tension. She trudges towards the kitchen and prepares breakfast, and as usual, Elizabeth attaches herself to her leg the minute she wakes up.

“You slept really late last night,” Anne comments, bringing her daughter up in her arms. Elizabeth wraps her legs around her waist, allowing Anne to support her with one arm as she tends to the stove with her other. “Aren’t you still tired?”

Elizabeth shakes her head, hiding her face in the crook of her neck. Anne sways the both of them as she cooks, humming a small tune. She feels Elizabeth tapping her fingers on her clavicle to the beat.

“You like that one?” Anne asks as she maneuvers around the kitchen with one working arm, dancing around and making her daughter giggle softly at the motions. She sets the food down and sits on the stool with Elizabeth on her lap.

“Alright, eat up,” Anne croons, combing her fingers through her hair. She spoons some beans on the toast and slices them into manageable bites. Anne rests her chin on the top of her daughter’s head as she eats, humming mindlessly.

“Thank ‘ou, Mama,” Elizabeth mumbles around a mouthful of food, and Anne squeezes her eyes tight.

“You’re welcome, baby,” Anne breathes, managing not to let her tears fall this time. “And good job for using your words. You’re making Mama so happy.”

Elizabeth leans back against her chest as she works through her breakfast. She doesn’t talk again for the rest of the day, but the fact that she’s done so unprompted was such a huge step for her that she doesn’t mind.

When Anne arrives at the club, she was surprised by the bouquet of flowers on her station table. She checks the card and scoffs.

“Sorry about last night. Love, H.” Anne reads aloud, and she takes the flowers and dumps it in the bin along with the card. “Sorry my ass.”

“Iconic.” Anna claps, and all the other girls laugh along.

Anne does one of her signature routines that night, and she scans the audience until her eyes land on a woman watching her with rapt attention. Anne tries to keep herself from corpsing when she sees the woman spilling her drink on the floor as she stares.

She was most definitely a first timer.

Anne had decided to single her out for the rest of her routine to make it worth her while, but when she comes closer and the light shines directly at the two of them, she realizes just how beautiful this woman was.

So naturally, to show her interest, Anne gives her a cheeky lap dance.

She would normally never let anyone touch her during a routine, so she was just as surprised as the woman was when she grabs her hands and leads them to her hips, sliding them to her barely covered ass.

She feels the woman's hesitation from the way her eyes are trained on hers and nowhere else, and she feels a bit bad for coming on as strong as she did. She whispers in her ear that it's alright, and she feels the flustered woman give her the lightest, most tentative squeeze that she's ever felt, making her laugh.

When she runs backstage, she tells the first person she sees.

“Kit! Pretty woman at 11 o’clock from center stage. She’s sat near the bar, curly hair, baby blue top.” Anne babbles, and Kit almost chokes on her water as she speaks.

“Are you telling me to do something or…” Kit trails off, wiping her mouth.

“Sorry, my mind’s just a bit foggy from that one,” Anne exhales, changing into her next costume. “Something just came over me when I saw her. I wanted to tease her a little bit, and the next thing I know, I was asking her to feel me up.”

“Oh my God, you did not,” Kit has her mouth wide open at her admission, but she was clearly happy about it. “That’s such a ballsy move!”

“I know, I was shocked too!” Anne giggles, shaking her head but a permanent smile was plastered on her face.

For the rest of the evening, Anne keeps making glances at the woman by the bar, and waves of happiness wash over her every time she makes eye contact. When intermission rolls around, she rushes to the bar area to not-so-subtly look for the woman in blue, but when she checks her table, she wasn’t there.

She deflates a bit, but she spots the woman’s companion and she realizes that she might still be around.

“My usual, please,” Anne smiles at the bartender, and he gives her a nod as he starts to fix her drink. She feels a presence appear beside her, and she holds back the urge to groan.

“Did you like the flowers?” He asks cooly, and Anne keeps her body facing towards the bar, not wanting to give him any more attention.

When Anne only hums, Henry clenches his jaw, trying to steel himself from doing anything that he will most probably regret.

“I want to apologize for last night,” Henry starts. “We can forget it ever happened. All in the past. Sound good?”

Anne turns her head to look at him before rolling her eyes. Henry reaches out to hold Anne’s hand but she takes it away before he could touch her.

“I really want to make it up to you. Go out with me, I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” Henry was starting to inch closer until she feels a gentle hand on her upper arm.

“Hey, oh my God, I’ve missed you!” The same woman who she danced on was talking to her as if they were friends. She was about to pry her hand away when she gave her a pointed look, and she understood immediately.

Anne plays along with the ruse, and when she excuses the both of them to escape outside, she feels complete relief as she sees Henry walk away through the window.

“Hey, thank you for that,” Anne exhales deeply, and she proceeded to introduce herself to her savior. She finds out that her name was Cathy, and she tries to keep her emotions in check when she shyly asks for her number. She feels giddy over the fact that she was interested in her as well, and she writes her number on her arm without a second thought.

Infatuation truly does things to a person.

When Anne returns backstage, Anna notices the same dopey smile on her face.

“Who is it this time?” Anna huffs, but Kit beats her to it.

“It was the girl near the bar! Miss Annie won’t shut up about her!” Kit giggles, and Anne takes an ice cube from her drink and touches it to Kit’s shoulder, making her yelp.

“I’ll do it again if you keep calling me Miss,” Anne warns lightly, popping the ice cube in her mouth. “Her name’s Cathy. Saved me from talking to Henry, and she asked for my number, too.”

“Finally, someone who sounds decent,” Anna throws her hands up, and Anne playfully shoves her aside as she walks back to her station. “No, but really. I hope she messages you soon. Did she ask to go out with you tonight?”

“Nope, but I don’t mind.” Anne responds, downing the rest of her drink.

Second act goes by smoothly, and when Anne collects her earnings, she was shocked by the thicker envelope that was handed to her.

“Did you advance my salary or something?” Anne jokes, and when she opens to count the bills, her knees almost feel weak at the thin wad of fifties still bound together by a paper strip in the midst of other loose notes.

Aragon smirks. “I asked who gave the wad, Raymond didn’t get the name but he did report to me that you lap danced the hell out of that poor woman.”

Anne’s face flushes red. “Guess I sure know how to pick ‘em, right?”

“Anne, just be careful. We tease, not traumatize,” Aragon shakes her head, but was clearly fighting off a grin.

“Whatever decisions that get made out there is not me, it’s Lady Temptress.” Anne laughs, and Aragon waves her hand to shoo her off as she laughs as well.

She looks at the envelope again, knowing that the money that she’s saved up was more than enough to cover even up until next month’s rent.

For the first time in weeks, Anne’s smile reaches her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was pretty much a recount of the same night Anne meets Cathy, just in Anne's POV. Things'll move forward soon, I promise.


	6. You're Free With Me

Anne wakes up a bit earlier the next morning, coming downstairs to pay for rent a day early. She knocks and Mark opens the door, already dressed for the day.

“Here’s rent for last month and this month, as promised,” Anne hands him the envelope and he takes it, counting the amount in front of her to make sure she’s given exact. He hums and tells her to wait by the door, and he later comes back with receipt slips, asking her to sign on each one. He hands her one and nods, closing the door.

After everything that led up to this day, paying for her rent was anti-climactic, to say the least.

But she breathes easier now, and she can’t contain her happiness.

She runs back up her flat and heads straight to her stash, setting aside her rent for the next month and was excited to realize that she still had a bit more to spare. She takes the extra and pulls out an old envelope, smiling as she labels it with 'E’s School Funds’.

Her girl was nearing four years old, which meant that she was supposed to start schooling by next year. She knows that she’ll most likely put her in a state school, but the fact that she’s able to start an emergency fund specifically for her makes her feel a bit more competent in her abilities as a mother.

She hears her phone ping, and she can’t help the large grin on her face when she realizes that it was a slew of texts from Cathy.

Today was a very good day.

**[Cathy]: Hi, Anne, Cathy here! Just making sure you wrote the right number.**

**[Cathy]: Not that I don’t trust you, but**

**[Cathy]: Please disregard everything I said**

**[Cathy]: Shit I’m so sorry**

Anne laughs, and without thinking, presses her number and calls her. It doesn’t get through the first ring when it picks up.

“Hello?” Anne hears Cathy’s breathless voice from the other line, and she chuckles.

“Hi, Cathy. Just calling to confirm that this is my number,” Anne teases, and she could literally hear Cathy blushing, if that was even possible. “How are you?”

“Ah! I’m, um, I’m good,” Cathy gulps. “I was just about to text you that, um, I’m coming back tonight. To the club. Will you, uh, will you be dancing? There, tonight, I mean?”

“Breathe, Cathy,” Anne laughs. “And yes, I am. I’ll be the one with no clothes.”

“Christ,” Cathy mutters under her breath, but Anne catches it, resisting the urge to laugh. She was almost too easy to tease. “Okay, okay. I wanted to ask you something but I figured it’s better if I do it in person.”

“I usually pop in and out so I might not catch you until intermission,” Anne spots Elizabeth rubbing her eyes by her bedroom door. Anne opens her free arm out and her daughter barrels towards her, throwing her back on impact. “Oof!”

“Are you alright?” Cathy asks immediately, and Anne looks down at her daughter snuggling against her chest, her thumb in her mouth. Anne leans down to kiss her head.

“I’m alright, no worries. What do you need to ask me?”

“Oh, um. Would you maybe like to go out?” Cathy starts hesitantly, then adds. “With me?”

“I’d really like that,” Anne grins, squeezing her daughter tight against her. Elizabeth doesn’t complain. “When are you thinking?”

“Not tonight, because I know you’re dancing and you must be tired. Will you be performing tomorrow?” Cathy asks, and Anne is taken aback at her consideration.

“I won’t, tomorrow’s perfect.” Anne lies, making a mental note to ask Aragon if she can take a night off. Anne tries to convince herself that she deserves this after everything she’s been through.

“Oh, great! Thank you,” Cathy’s tone sounds brighter than earlier. “I’ll…I’ll pick you up tomorrow evening, then. And, um, see you tonight.”

“See you tonight, Cathy.”

Anne ends the call, and a few moments later, Cathy sends a frantic looking text.

**[Cathy]: I forgot to ask for your address**

**[Cathy]: I’m so sorry I’m really bad at this**

Anne sees that Elizabeth had dozed off in her lap, and she moves her in a more comfortable position before responding with what she asked for. She puts her phone down and wraps her arms around her daughter, squeezing her slightly.

“Hey, baby, sorry to keep you waiting,” Anne whispers, pressing her lips against her forehead to coax her awake. Elizabeth stirs in her arms for bit, whimpering as she hides her face in her chest. “You know, when you were little, you hid your face exactly like that whenever I held you.”

Elizabeth flutters her eyes open, peeking up at her mother with a small smile on her face.

“There you are,” Anne smiles, and Elizabeth wrinkles her nose. “I still haven’t tried those cupcakes you made with Jane. You wanna have those for breakfast?”

Anne sees a little twinkle in her eye at the prospect of having cake in the morning. Elizabeth nods her head, and Anne carries her into the kitchen.

“Alright, let’s have them, then.”

At the club, Anne was relieved to not spot Henry anywhere, and she smiles when she spots Cathy approach her at the bar during intermission.

“Hi Anne! I never got to tell you, but you’re a stunning performer,” Cathy says, her smile wide. Cathy raises her glass to her and Anne clinks it with hers. “I don’t usually go out a lot, and I’m sorry, I know I sounded like a mess over the phone. I promise, I’m much more composed than that.”

Anne shakes her head. “I think you’re just wonderful, Cathy.”

“Oh,” Cathy blushes, and Anne leans her elbow against the counter, fully facing her. “I think you’re really great, too.”

“So, any clues to where you’re taking me tomorrow night?” Anne wasn’t the biggest fan of being the receiving end of surprises, so she tries to fish out as much information as she can. “A dress code I should be aware of?”

“A bit dressy, maybe? I’ve made reservations at a nice French restaurant in the city, it’s one of my favourites,” Cathy smiles, picking up on what she was trying to ask.

“Bit strange to ask a stripper to dress up, you think?” Cathy almost chokes on her drink, and Anne quickly hands her a tissue. “Sorry!”

“You just always catch me off guard, that’s all,” Cathy manages to sputter out.

“Ma’am, ten minute call.” The bartender taps Anne’s shoulder, and she nods, rushing to finish her drink.

“Break a leg,” Cathy reaches for her hand and squeezes it, and Anne intertwines their fingers, leaning close to whisper into her ear.

“You’re my good luck charm for the night,” Anne pecks her cheek and smudges the light kiss mark off before scuttling away backstage.

Aragon goes to the dressing room area again that night to give everyone’s earnings, and she stands by the door to make a short announcement.

“Great job tonight, girls!” Aragon cheers, and she gets a round of applause from the girls removing make up in their stations. “Just wanted to let you know that we’ll be closed tomorrow since we’ll be doing a deep clean of the club. Please take this opportunity to sleep through the day, because God knows we all need that.”

The girls laugh as they they carried on fixing their things, and Aragon walks around to distribute their envelopes. When she arrives at Anne’s station, she places it on her table, adding a folded note over it.

“Your admirer stuck this to their massive tip, I wonder who it could be,” Aragon sing-songs, and Anne shoos her away, unfolding the note.

_Share with everyone, I’ve lost count._

_Had my eyes only on you tonight, I guess._

_Looking forward to dinner_

_x C_

When Anne opens her envelope, she sees a slightly thicker batch of twenties, and she shakes her head at Cathy’s nonchalant display of wealth.

“Jesus, how loaded is she,” Anne mutters, pulling out the wad and divides it among the girls. “Girls, stay! Tip bonus!”

The girls immediately crowd around her as she hands out their portioned twenties, and they thank her profusely before adding it to their envelopes.

“Whoever’s been eyeing Annie, I really like them,” One of the girls comment, and they all mumble their agreement.

“Hold on, I need a photo of this. I’ll send it to her,” Anne pulls out her phone and the girls huddle together, some of them holding their envelopes up and some of them fanning out their crisp twenties. Anne laughs as she takes a few shots, sending the best one to Cathy before placing her own share back in her envelope.

When Anne gets back home, a wave of unease immediately washes over her. Trusting her gut, she rushes up the stairs to Jane’s flat, knocking on it gently to keep her from panicking.

The door whooshes open, revealing a frenetic looking Jane holding a sleeping Elizabeth.

“Jane, what happened? Are you alright?” Anne asks, and she nods, slightly relaxing at the sight of her friend. Jane doesn’t let Anne inside, and she passes her daughter to her, letting her hand linger on her back for a while.

“I’ve heard noises from down the hall a few hours ago. I couldn’t bring myself to check,” Jane starts, looking left and right. “But I heard your name being yelled. You can’t stay here, Anne. You need to leave.”

“Shit. Shit,” Anne exhales, the gears turning in her head. “Thanks for letting me know, Jane. I’ll call you immediately.”

“Go, go,” Jane pushes them away as she closes the door. Anne brisk walks to her flat and was horrified to see the door wide open. Holding Elizabeth tight against her chest, she tentatively steps into her flat, finding the sofa and the kitchen appliances turned over.

She rushes to her daughter’s room and sees that her little dresser had all the drawers pulled out, her clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor. Her tiny bed frame was smashed into pieces and the mattress was up against the wall. Her crayon drawings that decorated the room were all ripped and crumpled, but a lone note was stuck to the far end.

Anne walks forward to read it, and she feels a bile rise to her throat.

**_Told you. H_ **

Anne walks out of the room and to her own dresser, and she notices that it’s been ransacked as well, her clothes all messy inside the drawers. She opens the bottom drawer and tears well up in her eyes when she doesn’t find the savings she’s set aside.

“Fuck,” Anne grits through her teeth, but she doesn’t let her emotions overwhelm her. She puts Elizabeth down on the floor and pulls out a large duffel bag, quickly stuffing her clothes and running to Elizabeth’s room to get hers. She gathers a few more belongings, her heart breaking more and more every single time she picks a tiny shirt off the floor.

She has no other family connections. Jane lives too close, and Aragon was too familiar to Henry, and she was afraid she might go after her as well.

After zipping up the duffel bag, she collects Elizabeth in her arms and slides her back down against the wall. Without thinking, she calls up the last person she contacted.

It picks up after two rings.

“Hello? Anne?” Cathy asks from the other end, and Anne just breathes through the phone, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. “Are you there?”

“Yeah, um, I’m sorry, but,” Anne takes a shaky breath, holding Elizabeth tighter against her. “I can’t go out with you tomorrow. It’s just not a good time.”

Cathy ignores the rejection. “Anne, have you been crying? Are you alright?”

“No, I’m not, but,” Anne lets the tears flow freely. “I just don’t have anywhere to go right now.”

“Where are you? I’ll go to you, I can—,”

“ _Fuck!_ ” Anne barks out, her sobs racking her chest. She cries over the phone, her eyes roaming around the poor excuse of a living space, but it’s the only home she’s ever known. She feels Elizabeth startle in her arms at her expletive, and she begins to weep quietly. She’s never heard her yell so loud before.

“Mama?” Anne hears a quiet whimper, and that was all it took to break her down.

“I’m so, so, sorry, baby,” Anne squeezes her eyes shut, curling her body around her daughter.

“Anne,” She hears Cathy’s soft voice over the phone, and she almost forgot that she was still on the other line. “Anne, where are you both?”

“My flat’s been broken into,” Anne hiccups through her tears, her other hand occupied by Elizabeth squeezing her fingers to ground her. “I didn't know who else to call.”

“Stay with me.” Cathy immediately offers, and when Anne hears a faint jangling of keys from the other end, she knows that she had no way out of this. “I’ll be there in a while.”

“But you barely know me,” Anne sniffles, wiping her cheek against her shoulder.

“You wouldn’t have called me if you didn’t trust me even just a little bit. Let me help you, please.”

Anne’s breaths were ragged down the phone, and she lets go of the little dignity that she has left.

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things moved forward.


	7. I'm Only Here

Cathy sends a quick text that she was already outside the apartment building. She looks around warily, not realizing that Anne lived in a shady neighborhood all this time. It was a little after four in the morning, and it was a good thing that she was still awake when she had picked up her call.

She doesn't want to imagine what would've happened to Anne if she didn't.

A few minutes pass before she spots Anne approaching with two large bags over her shoulders and a sleeping child in her arms.

Cathy gets out of the car immediately to open the trunk and help, but Anne manages herself, sliding off the bags one by one before looking up at Cathy.

"Can I stay in the back? I have to..." Anne trails off, motioning to the little girl in her arms.

"Yes, of course."

Cathy starts the car and they drive in radio silence for a while. Anne looks down and sees Elizabeth wide awake, her eyes staring blankly into space as she reaches for one of Anne’s hands to squeeze her fingers.

“Go back to sleep, baby,” Anne whispers to her daughter, and she brings up her hand to kiss the fingers wrapped around hers. “I know it’s scary, but it’s really late. Can you try for me?”

Elizabeth hides her face into her chest as she continues opening and closing her hand around her fingers, but she doesn’t find the calm that she usually gets. It was late, she was tired, they were going away from the only place that was familiar to her, but above everything else, she was just confused at everything that was happening around her.

Not knowing what else to do, Elizabeth whimpers feebly, crying soft sobs against Anne’s shirt. She squeezes Anne’s fingers tighter, yelping frustratedly when she feels her chest constricting. Anne notices this immediately.

“Sit up, baby, breathe with me,” Anne instructs, repositioning her on her lap to face sideways. Elizabeth leans her side against Anne, wanting any possible form of contact, shutting her eyes tight as she rides the wave out. She feels her mother running a firm hand up and down her back, and she breathes deeper for her. “That’s right, baby girl. In and out for Mama, that’s it.”

The weight on Elizabeth’s chest eases after a while, and she slumps back, bringing her thumb up to her mouth. Anne cradles her close, her lips never leaving her forehead.

“You’re okay, baby, you’re okay,” Anne whispers into her skin, wanting so much for it to be true. When she feels her relax in her arms, Anne releases a deep breath.

“I’m sorry for imposing,” It takes Cathy a while to realize that Anne was talking to her. “I’ll make sure to be out of your hair as soon as possible.”

“You’re not imposing, I promise.” Cathy was quick to reassure. This woman felt like a completely different person from the one who flirts with her at the club. Cathy was never one to judge, but she wasn’t going to lie and say that it didn’t give her a whiplash. “Um, can I ask for her name?”

“Elizabeth,” Anne replies, a tinge of reverence in her tone that Cathy smiles a bit at. It was clear that this little girl was her whole world. “I just call her El, though. A bit of a mouthful.”

“How old is she?” Cathy asks, trying to get her mind off the gravity of their situation. She’ll ask her again after they get some rest. “Does she have any favourite food? It can be a nice surprise in the morning.”

“Why are you being so nice?” Anne ignores Cathy’s questions, eyeing her warily.

“I don’t need to have a reason to be nice,” Cathy responds, trying her best to analyze Anne’s defensiveness. “I really just want to help.”

“And you don’t want anything in return?” Anne brings up with a certain edge in her voice, and Cathy pieces it together in her mind. She doesn’t want to assume, but Anne probably thinking that she wanted sex in exchange of her kindness was heartbreaking. Cathy doesn’t blame her for not trusting her.

“No, Anne. I swear on my grave,” Cathy promises solemnly, and Anne leans back against the seat, nodding slightly. They turn around the corner and into a lot, and Anne peeps through the car window to get a better view of the house. It wasn’t grand by any means, but it was still a rather large two-level home.

“This is us,” Cathy says, getting out of the car and opening Anne’s side before taking the duffel bag from the trunk. Anne carefully scoots out, trying her best not to jolt Elizabeth awake. She takes the other bag and Cathy leads them inside.

“I’ll lead you to the guest room tonight but I promise to show you around tomorrow,” Cathy leads them up the stairs, opening the first door on the left. “My room’s down there right next to this one, just a heads up.”

Cathy puts the duffel on the floor and Anne immediately pulls the covers down from the bed. She removes Elizabeth’s shoes first before tucking her in, kissing her forehead before standing back up.

“She’s beautiful,” Cathy comments, getting a better look at her face as she sleeps. “Looks just like you.”

Anne blushes slightly at the indirect comment.

“Does anyone else live here with you?” Anne asks, sitting on the edge of the bed. Cathy hovers by the doorframe, leaning her side against it.

“No, just me,” Cathy shakes her head. “The company’s very welcome.”

“Thank you again for this. I don’t know how to repay you.” Anne stifles a yawn, the events of the day starting to take a toll on her.

“You don’t have to pay me back or do anything. I told you, it’s alright,” Cathy reassures. “We’ll talk in the morning, alright? Or, later this morning, I mean.”

Anne nods, standing up. With a deep breath, she walks forward and presses her lips against her cheek. “Good night, Cathy.”

Cathy brings her hand up to her face, smiling softly.

“Good night, Anne.”


	8. For This Moment

When Elizabeth wakes up, she startles at her new environment.

The room she was in was nicer that her room in the flat—it was much cleaner, and there was more sunlight that entered the room through the large windows. She looks over to the side and sees her mother still asleep, and when she tries to poke her cheek to nudge her awake, she only groans.

Elizabeth snuggles up to her side, lightly tapping her fingers on Anne’s ribcage.

Anne opens her eyes after a few minutes, and she was met face to face with a wide-awake Elizabeth.

“Hey, you.” Anne hums, leaning down to nuzzle her nose in her hair. “Morning.”

Elizabeth sits up and spots the duffel bag on the floor, and she looks back at Anne with questioning eyes.

“We just need to stay with my friend for a while,” Anne explains simply, smoothing her bed hair down. “She’s very nice, you’ll like her. Will you try to say hello when we see her later?”

Elizabeth only looks at her, not promising anything. Everything was still so new.

Anne doesn’t push it further. She takes her phone from her bag and sees that they’ve slept in for a bit—it’s only a little after nine, but it sets her body clock off by two hours. She’s also received a text from Cathy saying that she went out to buy a few groceries, and that she’ll be back before ten.

Anne’s mind was still trying to process everything that happened the day before, how she had started on such a high but ended up losing her savings and her home in the span of a night. Putting a brave face on for her daughter, she lifts Elizabeth off the bed and helps her walk down the steps—they were much steeper than the ones in the building—and Anne spots Cathy taking groceries out from canvas bags and placing them in her pantry.

Cathy spots the two of them by the bottom of the staircase and offers them a small smile.

“G’morning. I sort of don’t know what kids like to eat so I just got a bit of everything,” Cathy stammers, and Anne only notices now that a lot of the things she’s bought had colorful packaging or cartoon animals on them.

“Thank you, but you really didn’t have to. She’ll eat anything,” Anne says, and Cathy waves her hand dismissively.

“I had to stock up anyway. I, um, I rarely have guests, so it’s nice to provide for someone for a change.” Cathy explains, and then picks up a colorful cereal box. “Plus, a few treats wouldn’t hurt.”

Elizabeth tugs on Anne’s hand, and when she looks down, she shyly points to the cereal box, silently indicating that it was the same one she pointed at when they were in the grocery a couple days back. Cathy catches her glance and she immediately puts her hand down, hiding behind Anne’s legs.

“Cathy, this is my daughter, Elizabeth. El, this is Cathy.” Anne introduces, and Cathy walks over to them with the cereal box in her hands, kneeling down in front of the little girl.

“Hi El, it’s great to meet you,” Cathy starts gently. She notices how Elizabeth had an iron grip on Anne’s trousers. “My name’s Cathy, I’m your Mama’s friend.”

Elizabeth takes a peek at the woman, Cathy, in front of her. She tentatively raises her hand up, waving it slightly before taking hold of Anne’s trousers again. Cathy holds up the cereal box in front of her. 

“I saw this on the telly the other day and I thought it looked really neat, but when I got it, it says that it’s only for kids,” Cathy pouts, trying her best to make an effort with the little girl in front of her. “I’m not a kid, but you are one, right?”

Elizabeth takes a baby step out from behind Anne, and she places her hand on the crown of her head. When Elizabeth nods, Cathy brightens.

“Oh, perfect! Would you like to have it?” Cathy asks, holding the box out for Elizabeth to grab. Anne feels another tug on her shirt, and Elizabeth looks up at her as if asking for permission. When Anne gives her an encouraging smile, Elizabeth takes another step forward, gingerly taking the box from her hands.

“What do you say, El?” Anne prompts, and Elizabeth looks at Cathy in the eyes apprehensively. Cathy stands up from her position, smiling gently at Elizabeth.

“It’s okay,” Cathy says, and she leads the two of them towards the kitchen counter.

“Do you wanna have this for breakfast, El?” Anne asks her daughter as she lifts her up on a bar stool, and she nods quickly, shoving the box towards her.

“Does she…” Cathy trails off, not wanting to overstep. Anne nods, opening the cereal box. Cathy quickly hands her a bowl and Anne murmurs a thanks before pouring it in halfway.

“Yeah, she does, but just little words here and there. We’re working on it though, right, baby?” Anne smiles, but Elizabeth doesn’t acknowledge her, occupied by the food in front of her. Anne ruffles her hair. “She’s really shy since she doesn’t get to go out much, but I’m just worried because she doesn’t talk a lot even when it’s just me and her in the room.”

Anne feels a poke on her arm, and Elizabeth looks at her before staring at the bowl. She points to the fridge, and she connects her thoughts.

“Do you have any—,” Anne was cut off by Cathy placing a carton of milk in front of her. “Thanks.”

“Oh, sorry, um, you want anything for breakfast?” Cathy asks, internally berating herself. Anne shakes her head, pouring the milk into Elizabeth’s bowl. She notices Elizabeth’s smile, pointing at the cereal pieces rising up to the surface.

“Yeah, they float,” Anne humors her before giving her attention to Cathy. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Can we talk a bit? About this arrangement, I mean.” Anne asks, sitting on the barstool next to her daughter. Cathy settles down across the table, ready to listen.

“So, um, I’ve told you that our flat was broken into last night, and they got the savings I’ve put aside. I’ve already paid our landlord for this month but without my stash, we’d be evicted by next month anyway,” Anne grumbles, chiding herself for being so stupid. “I don’t really know how long we’ll be staying for, but like I said, I’ll make sure to save up so we can move out as soon as we can.”

“Anne, there’s really no rush. You stay here for as long as you need, I told you, it’s alright.” Cathy intervenes, but Anne’s too deep in her thoughts to acknowledge her.

“I need to find a new sitter—oh, God, I haven’t called Jane yet—and I’ve just started a fund for El’s schooling but that one got stolen, too,” Anne was starting to hyperventilate, everything was starting to pile up and she doesn’t know where to start.

“Anne!” At some point in her rambling, Cathy had stood up from her place across the counter and walked over to the side, wedging herself in between her and Elizabeth. “Look at me, please.”

Anne struggles to focus on Cathy, but when she cups Anne’s cheeks in her face to help her look at her, she meets her eyes and slowly softens her gaze.

“I didn’t put a deadline when I opened up my home to you, to the both of you, and I’m not going to. I can help you look for a new sitter and we can try setting up a more secure account so you won’t have to worry about cash getting lost again. We’ll take one thing at a time, and I hope you'll let me help you.”

Her mind couldn’t wrap around how genuinely Cathy wanted this, how generous she was without even expecting anything in return.

Cathy still has her face in her hands, and Anne stares into her eyes. 

Without another thought, Anne lunges forward and presses her lips against hers.


	9. Such A Thing of Wonder

Cathy freezes when Anne kisses her.

Her heart pounds against her chest, and when Anne traps her bottom lip against hers, she abandons her thoughts and eases into her, her hands gently resting at her waist. Anne’s hands come up to cup Cathy’s face, and they pull away after a few moments.

Anne looks into her eyes, slightly apologetic, but she doesn’t regret anything.

“I’ve only known you for a few days, but you have been the most genuine person that I’ve ever come across,” Anne starts, slightly breathless. “I don’t know how else to show you how much that means to me.”

Cathy’s mind was still reeling from the kiss. She’s never had much experience when it comes to love or relationships, and she’s been treading uncharted territory for the past couple days.

When Cathy doesn’t respond, Anne shifts a bit, starting to doubt her actions.

“I’m sorry for being so forward,” Anne apologizes, starting to walk to the side but on impulse, Cathy grabs her hand, intertwining it with hers.

“I’m just processing,” Cathy admits shyly, taking Anne’s other hand to face her. “I like your forwardness, that’s one of the things that drew me to you.”

Cathy feels a light tap on her back, and she turns around to see Elizabeth holding her bowl up.

“Are you finished?” Cathy asks gently, and a light blush appears on her cheeks, shaking her head. “More?”

Elizabeth nods sheepishly, and Cathy pours a bit more cereal and milk into her bowl. She looks up at her for a moment before helping herself to seconds.

Anne witnesses the exchange, and her heart grows tenfold.

“It still stands, what I said. I like you a lot, Anne, and really, you can stay for as long as you need to.” Cathy repeats when she turns back around, wanting it to stick in her stubborn mind.

“Funny, I thought people dated first before moving in together,” Anne says nonchalantly before slapping her hand over her mouth. “Shoot, sorry. I meant, um,—“

“If you give us a try, we might just be able to work things out,” Cathy suggests with a soft smile, deciding to throw caution to the wind. “Would you still like to have that dinner tonight? We don’t have to go out. We can order some food, have a girls night in with El, maybe pop open a bottle of wine afterwards. What do you say?”

Anne lets her words float in her mind for a while.

The minute Anne tells her dates, the ones that she actually liked, that she has a daughter to get home to, they put on polite smiles and then proceed to never contact her again. The fact that Cathy wanted Elizabeth to be a part of it, how she compromises to spend time with her and have her to herself afterwards made Anne realize that Cathy was serious about wanting to get to know her better.

“I’d really like that.”

After breakfast, Cathy hides away in her study for a while and when Anne goes back upstairs with Elizabeth, she checks her phone to see a multitude of texts and missed calls from Jane.

Her phone rings again, and Anne picks it up immediately.

“Anne, thank God! You’re going to give me an aneurism,” Jane exhales exasperatedly on the phone. “What happened? Where are you, are you safe? How’s El?”

Anne recounts the events from last night and where they’re staying, and it dawns on her that Henry had found out about her having a daughter from the break in. She thanks her lucky stars for Jane’s existence.

“And you’re sure you’re alright?” Jane double checks, concerned for her friend. “Just be careful out there, okay?”

“We will, thanks Jane,” Anne responds. She’s been such a constant in her unpredictable life and it’ll be difficult to adjust with not seeing her daily. “Let’s meet up soon when all of this is settled. Somewhere outside. I can’t let El go for so long without seeing you.”

“Yes, of course! Just ring me up, I’ll be there,” Jane says brightly on the other line. “Give my love to the little one. Take care, Anne!”

Anne ends the call, and she places her phone on the bedside table before pulling up the large duffel bag on the bed. She dumps out all the items she’s managed to fit in, which was surprisingly the majority of their wardrobe. Midway through folding her clothes, Elizabeth manages to snag a lacy thong from underneath a pile.

“Thanks, El,” Anne snatches it from her daughter’s grasp, making her smile cheekily. “You wanna help Mama fold your clothes?”

It takes the two of them twice as long to put everything away into the closet, with Elizabeth constantly finding lingerie pieces that Anne uses for work and giggling at how bashful her mother gets. Once they were done, they lie down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“El, did you like Cathy?” Anne asks out of the blue, and she turns on her side to watch her daughter’s response. Elizabeth turns her head as well and nods.

“We’ll be staying with Cathy for a little while, just until we find a new home,” Anne tells her, reaching up to place her hand on her stomach. “We can’t go back to our oldone anymore, baby. But I promise we’ll find a nicer place, and I’ll make sure that you’ll still get to see Jane.”

Elizabeth nods again, listening but not fully understanding why they can’t go back. She scoots closer to Anne, laying her head on her chest. Anne’s arm bends up to play with her hair, and she relaxes a bit.

“But whatever happens, I’m just here, El. You know that, right?” Anne whispers, and Elizabeth looks up at her, wanting so much to tell her everything that was on her mind but has no idea where to start. So she settles with nodding, and pressing a kiss against her jaw.

“Thanks, baby. I really needed that.”

The day passes, and Anne gets ready for her date even though it’s only downstairs. She puts her hair up into a messy bun and puts on the nicest pair of pyjamas she owns, which was a champagne pink silk set. It was a gift from Jane, and naturally, El had a miniature version on as well.

Anne heads downstairs with Elizabeth perched on her hip, and she spots Cathy in the kitchen about to put a bottle of wine in the fridge.

“Oh, you two look absolutely darling,” Cathy grins, noticing their matching outfits. They’ve agreed on sleepwear tonight, and Cathy was wearing flannel bottoms and a loose jumper. “I’ve ordered some pizza and pasta from this really nice Italian place half an hour ago, it should be here in a few minutes.”

“You like pizza, don’t you, El?” Anne says as she sits her on the kitchen counter. Elizabeth kicks her feet back and forth as she nods her head. “It’s like what we make at home, but this is probably much, much better.”

Cathy watches the two of them interact with a fond look, noticing how doting and attentive Anne was when it came to her daughter. The sound of the doorbell pulls her away from her thoughts, and she brings the food back to the kitchen counter.

“We’re not using the table?” Anne asks, pointing at the dinner area on the side.

“I’m usually alone, so I never sit there,” Cathy reveals with a sad smile, opening the pizza box. “Feels strange with just empty chairs surrounding you, you know?”

“Oh,” Anne reaches out to hold her wrist. “We’re here now, though. Like you said, we’ll be keeping you company for a while.”

Cathy stops for a moment, letting her words sink in. She was so used to being and doing things alone, and the prospect of having something as simple as sharing a meal at home with someone had her mind reeling. She knows that she only has them for a while, and by God, was she going to make it count.

“Okay,” Cathy tries to swallow that lump in her throat. “Okay, let’s move there.”

They move the food to the dining table, and Cathy grabs a few plates and utensils from the kitchen before taking her seat next to Anne, who has Elizabeth on her lap. Anne pulls a slice from the pizza, and Elizabeth gasps at the cheese pull.

“Yeah, I think you’ll like this one,” Anne laughs, bringing it up to her mouth. She takes a tentative bite, and she widens her eyes before grabbing the slice from her hand.

“Oh, Anne, try the pasta,” Cathy places a bit of the pasta on her plate. “It’s truffle cream, it’s the best.”

“Feed me,” Anne says cheekily, and Cathy obeys, twirling a bit of pasta around her fork and holding it up to Anne’s lips. She takes a bite and closes her eyes as the flavors hit her tongue, moaning slightly. “Oh, that’s really good.”

Cathy’s face goes beet red, but Elizabeth looks at her and opens her mouth wide, trusting her mother’s review. Cath shakes away her thoughts before feeding a bit to the little girl. Elizabeth chews thoughtfully before making a face, swallowing but immediately reaching for water.

“She’s not a fan,” Cathy chuckles, and Anne shakes her head, laughing along.

They go through dinner laughing and talking a bit about their common interests. Cathy makes sure to direct a few yes or no questions towards Elizabeth, and she becomes more at ease around her, hearing little giggles every once in a while.

“Anyone fancy some dessert?” Cathy calls out, pulling ice cream from the fridge.Elizabeth straightens up on Anne’s lap as she watches her every move.

“I’m good, not a big fan of sweets,” Anne says, noticing how Elizabeth perked up. “El and I will pass, thanks.”

Elizabeth gasps, turning her body to look at her mother. She brings her tiny hands up to her face, her eyebrows furrowed together.

“I want.” Elizabeth looks her in the eye, and Anne only smiles, kissing her nose.

“I know, baby, just wanted to mess with you,” Anne chuckles, combing her fingers through her hair. Cathy comes back to the table with two bowls of ice cream, setting one in front of Elizabeth. “What do you say?”

“Thank ‘ou,” Elizabeth says quickly, diving into her dessert. Anne kisses the top of her head, and Cathy beams at hearing her voice. Anne looks up at Cathy with a gentle smile.

“She’s never spoken a word to Jane, and she babysits her almost every day,” Anne informs her, and Cathy’s smile looks like her face was about to split in two. “She’s really taken to you.”

“I’m glad, I like her a lot too. She’s a great kid,” Cathy compliments, scooping a bit of ice cream into her mouth. A bit drops down her chin, and Anne quickly reaches out, swiping at it with her thumb before bringing it to her lips.

“Oh, um, thanks,” Cathy blushes, and Anne gives her a wink before tending to Elizabeth.

They finish up with dessert and Anne notices that it was already half past nine. She stands from her seat and brings Elizabeth up into her arms.

“I’m just going to have her brush her teeth and settle for bed,” Anne tells Cathy, and she nods, moving closer towards the both of them.

“Alright, I’ll clean things up here. Good night, El. Sweet dreams,” Cathy greets, placing a light touch on Elizabeth’s back. To her surprise, Elizabeth reaches a hand out towards her, opening and closing it in front of her. Cathy gives Anne an apprehensive look.

“You wanna go to Cathy?” Anne whispers in her ear, and Elizabeth nods. Anne looks proud as she passes her daughter to Cathy, who holds her tight against her body. Elizabeth wraps her arms around her neck and leans her head on her shoulder.

“Good night, darling. I hope you got to eat well,” Cathy murmurs, resting her cheek on the crown of her head and Elizabeth sighs deeply in her arms, fully content. Cathy glances at Anne and was shocked to see tears streaming down her eyes, smiling widely.

Cathy passes Elizabeth back to Anne after a few moments. “We’re still on for wine?”

“You bet, I’ll be back down in a while,” Anne laughs breathlessly, still trying to get over her daughter opening up to Cathy so quickly.

Anne brings Elizabeth up to the room while Cathy places the bowls in the dishwasher. She pulls out two wine glasses and takes the wine from the fridge, popping it open and bringing them to the living room. When she feels that Anne might take a while, she pulls out a dinner plate and scavenges her fridge for grapes and cheese. She finds a few cold cuts given to her by Beni that she’s never bothered to open, and arranges a small snack plate for the both of them.

Cathy smiles to herself. She can get used to this.

Anne comes down a few minutes after Cathy finishes her impromptu grazing platter, and Cathy hands her a filled glass of wine as she settles down on the couch next to her.

“She good?” Cathy asks, raising her glass, and Anne clinks it with hers as they both take a sip.

“Out like a light,” Anne eyes the plate, and she takes a bit of cheese. “Oh, now you’re just spoiling me.”

Cathy shrugs, trying to hide her bashfulness by taking another swig from her drink.

“You’ve got a really nice place here. I’ve never asked you what you did for a living.” Anne says, leaning forward to take a larger chunk of cheese. Cathy makes a mental note to stock up on pecorino.

“I’m a writer, novelist actually. I’m working on a new one this year.”

“Anything I might’ve read before?”

“Oh, um,” Cathy brings her hand to rub the back of her neck. “My latest one was The Survivor. Came out late last year.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that one!” Anne smiles. “One of the dancers, her name’s Kit, she recommended it to me a few months back. I don’t usually have a lot of free time to read since I’ve had El, though.”

“That’s alright,” Cathy finishes chewing a grape before continuing. “What about you? How long have you been dancing at the club?”

“I was there for about a year before I got pregnant with El,” Anne starts, bringing her legs up on the couch and tucking them underneath her. “I kept performing until I was just beginning to show before quitting. I lived with my mum up until El was around six months old. When she died, I moved into the flat where you found me and asked Aragon, the owner of the club, if I could come back.”

“And the rest is history,” Cathy finishes for her, and Anne nods, chuckling.

“I really do love it, so I’m glad she took me in again,” Anne pops a grape in her mouth. “I really don’t know where I’d be if she didn’t.”

“I mean, you’re just phenomenal on stage, it would be stupid not to take you back,” Cathy defends, and Anne playfully shoves her shoulder. “And not to mention you having to take care of El so young, I’d say you’re just pretty phenomenal in general.”

Anne looks at Cathy with such intensity, as if she’s drinking up every word that comes out of her mouth. She blushes slightly at the compliment.

“It’s not the easiest thing in the world, and even though it’s great, it doesn’t really pay the best,” Anne confesses, feeling a bit loose lipped from the alcohol. “I’ve had to pick up at few day jobs when I wasn’t a regular yet, and I’ve had to, um, do a few extra services even though they weren’t part of the contract. God, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”

“Hey, I’m not one to judge, and you did what you needed to do to get by. If anything, I’m in awe,” Cathy tells her, reaching out to hold her hand. She was about to take another sip from her drink when she notices that her glass was empty, and the bottle was near empty as well.

“This is really good wine,” Anne smiles sheepishly, finishing off her glass. “And I’m not yet ready for this to end.”

“Want to open another one?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

They talk well into the night, laughing without a care in the world. Cathy settles her wine glass down, taking her chances and sitting much closer to Anne.

“You know,” Cathy exhales, leaning against her. “I really, really like you.”

Anne giggles a bit, but when Cathy intertwines her fingers with hers, she sobers slightly. Anne brings a curled finger under her chin and moves Cathy’s face to look at her, and her lips curl up into a teasing smirk.

“Then show me how much you do.”


	10. Undressed In Your Dreams With Me

Cathy was sure that she had dreamt last night.

But when she flutters her eyes open and was greeted with the sight of a sleeping Anne, she smiles at her surreal reality. She stares at her for a while, memorizing her features, relishing in the serenity for a few more moments.

“It’s not polite to stare,” She hears Anne mumble, and Cathy jumps a bit at her voice. “What time is it?”

Cathy checks the clock by Anne’s bedside. “Just a little before eight.”

“Too early,” Anne hums, her arms lazily reaching out for Cathy under the covers. Her hands find her waist, squeezing slightly as she pulls her closer, tangling their legs together. “Thanks for last night.”

Cathy’s body warms over, burying her face into Anne’s chest as the memories flood her mind. “I think I’m the one who should be thankful.”

“Hmm,” Anne leans down to press feather light kisses on Cathy’s shoulder, and she melts into it, bringing her face up to give her more access. She spots a hickey by her collarbone, and she chuckles a bit. “Sorry.”

“S’okay,” Cathy admits, pressing her lips below her jaw. “I like it.”

“Was that really your first time with a woman?” Anne asks gently, pulling the covers down. She traces her finger along the back of Cathy’s spine, and she shivers slightly as she presses closer to her, nodding her head.

“With anyone, actually.” Cathy admits, trying to muffle her words against Anne’s skin, kissing the freckles on her chest. Anne senses her embarrassment and she takes Cathy’s hand, leading it to her hip. She holds her wrist and guides her in caressing her side, sliding up to her waist then back down to the curve of her ass.

“I’m honoured to be your first,” Anne exhales, releasing her hand and bringing it up to Cathy’s cheek as she presses her lips against hers. Cathy closes her eyes, trying to deepen the kiss, and she firmly grasps her ass, involuntarily grinding against her thigh.

Cathy lets out a low whimper when they separate, and Anne takes Cathy’s hand from below and laces her fingers with hers. 

“I wanna continue as much as you do,” Anne whispers breathlessly, stealing a few pecks in between. “Need to get ready for the day.”

“Okay,” Cathy pouts, immediately feeling cold when Anne slips out of bed. They both hear a piercing cry from outside, and they look at each other for a moment before rushing to pick their clothes up from the floor. Anne fumbles with the last button on her top when she opens the door, and she spots her daughter holding on to the stair railing, her face scrunched up as she cries her little heart out.

“Oh, baby, baby,” Anne coos, walking forward and picking Elizabeth up from the floor. She clings to her tightly, wailing loudly against her ear. Elizabeth was still unfamiliar with her new environment, and not seeing her mother the minute she woke up terrified her to the core. “Shh, Mama’s here. It’s alright, El.”

“Oh, no,” Cathy sympathizes as she comes out of her room, touching Elizabeth’s back lightly. “What happened?”

“Her first instinct when she wakes up is to come and find me,” Anne explains, swaying a bit to soothe her daughter. “She’ll be alright, just needs some getting used to.”

“Mama,” Elizabeth hiccups through her tears, repeating her name as if it was a prayer. Anne takes her dimpled fist and kisses it before rubbing her back to ground her.

“Right here, baby girl. Mama’s got you,” Anne keeps her lips on Elizabeth’s temple. Cathy motions downstairs, indicating that she’ll be starting on breakfast. Anne gives her a grateful nod, and she holds her daughter tightly until she calms down.

“Are you alright, El?” Anne asks, and it takes a few more moments before she manages a nod. “Atta girl. What do you want for breakfast?”

Elizabeth shrugs, and Anne settles her on her hip.

“Let’s go see what Cathy’s making,” Anne says, and they make their way downstairs. She finds Cathy moving around expertly in the kitchen and mixing ingredients in a bowl. Anne sits down on a bar stool, settling Elizabeth on her lap.

“I always make pancakes whenever I feel sad,” Cathy informs Anne, but lets her eyes flicker to Elizabeth. “It takes a long time to do alone, though. Would you like to help me, El?”

Elizabeth sniffles a bit before nodding her head. Cathy takes another bar stool and sets it in front of the bowl, and Anne goes around to settle her there before walking back around to sit across them. Cathy lets Elizabeth crack the eggs in and mix the batter, which she thought was inarguably the most exciting bits in baking.

“Then we put in the chocolate chips,” Cathy smiles, handing her the opened bag and a measuring cup. Anne tuts, shaking her head. Her daughter had a massive sweet tooth, and she was realizing only now that Cathy was the perfect enabler.

“Don’t you think that’s too much for breakfast?”

“Nonsense. Put in as much as you like, darling.” Cathy waves her hand dismissively, and Elizabeth giggles, adding two cups full of chocolate chips. Cathy takes a few from the bag and pops them in her mouth, and Elizabeth does the same.

Anne laughs, and she lets herself imagine for a while that this was her new normal, waking up next to each other and making breakfast together with her little girl. She sighs deeply, resting her elbows on the countertop.

“I need to look for a sitter for El,” Anne brings up, breaking herself out of her domestic fantasies. “I used to leave her with Jane at her flat. Also, what’s your exact address by the way? I never asked, I don’t know how I’ll get to the club tonight.”

“Anne, take a breath,” Cathy retorts, ladling batter on the skillet while Elizabeth sneaks chocolate chips from the bag one at a time. “I don’t really leave the house unless I have meetings. I, um, I can watch her for the meantime, if you want? I mean, it’s that’s okay, I don’t want to overstep.”

Anne blinks, regarding her suggestion for a while.

“If you don’t mind? Just until I find a new one. All you really have to do is feed her dinner and get her to sleep, then I usually get back at around 2am.”

“Yeah, of course. As for the club, there’s a bus station a block away from here. It’s closer to me than where you used to stay. I can drop you off if—,”

“No!” Anne says a little too loudly, startling Elizabeth a bit. Anne clears her throat. “I mean, you’re doing so much already. I can’t inconvenience you like that.”

Cathy flips a pancake with ease, letting it cook a bit before sliding it on top of the stack. “I’m offering. It really is not problem.”

“I’ll find a way, don’t worry about it,” Anne exhales, and Cathy nods. “Thank you, though.”

“S’okay,” Cathy says, topping the tall stack of pancakes. She turns the stove off and was about to place it on the kitchen counter, but she stills for a moment before settling it on the dining table.

“Come on, let’s have breakfast.”

Late afternoon rolls around and Anne kneels down to meet Elizabeth’s height by the door.

“I have to go to work tonight, but I’ll be the first person you’ll see in the morning, okay?” Anne takes her hands, squeezing them lightly. Elizabeth nods her head, frowning slightly. She never likes it when Anne has to leave. “Good girl, give Mama a kiss.”

Elizabeth pecks her lips and Anne stands up, looking at Cathy.

“Do I get one, too?” Cathy jokes, but is taken aback when Anne giggles and kisses her as well. “Okay, then.”

“For good luck,” Anne smiles. “See you later.”

Anne takes the bus that Cathy had told her about and she makes it early to her call time. No one in the club knows about her current situation, and she’s trying her best to keep it that way.

She gets on stage that night and her blood runs cold when she spots Henry in the audience, but she plays it cool, making sure not to come near his area when she goes down to mingle and dance with the patrons.

During intermission, Anne stays backstage and orders her regular drink from one of the roaming waiters. She picks up her phone to pass the time and she tenses up when she sees Henry through the reflection.

“What the hell do you want?” Anne grits through her teeth, looking at him through her dressing room mirror.

“Just following up on that date,” Henry smirks, and Anne resists the urge to punch him in the face.

“Why the fuck would I, you trashed my flat,” Anne seethes, clutching her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her rage only fuels Henry further, tracing her shoulder with his finger and she shrugs it off quickly.

“All the more reason for you to come home with me,” Henry leans dangerously close to her ear. “That old place has seen better days. You should be thanking me, even. That’s no place to raise a child, don’t you think?”

Anne's face pales. “If you even think of mentioning that again, I’ll—,”

“I’ll what?” Henry challenges, harshly grabbing her chin and making her look at him. “I’ve warned you, and now I’m giving you a second chance. I bet where you’re staying isn’t even nice.”

“Excuse me, haven’t I told you before that guests are not permitted backstage?” Aragon interrupts from behind them, and Anne visibly relaxes in his hold. Aragon takes his wrist and yanks it away from Anne’s neck. “And most especially not when they’re harassing my performers.”

Aragon snarls when Henry nears Anne again, but he just huffs, slipping his card into Anne’s bra. “You know where to find me.”

When Henry leaves, Aragon checks her over for any marks, and Anne releases the breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“Do I need to put up a restraining order?” Aragon asks kindly, rubbing circles around her back, and Anne shakes her head. As much as she hates his advances, he was still a patron, and regardless of how sleazy he is, Aragon needs the money that he funnels into the club. “Okay, but the next time something happens, you won’t get much of a choice. We’ll survive without him, don’t worry.”

“Thanks, Aragon,” Anne exhales, leaning her head against her stomach.

“Anytime,” Aragon tucks a stray hair behind her ear. “Now, take that card out of your tits and get ready. You’re on in ten.”


	11. Coffee Smell and Lilac Skin

As weeks pass, Anne is constantly looking over her shoulder, anticipating that Henry might strike at any time. She lives in constant paranoia, losing sleep and her appetite, and at one point fumbling with the laces of her corset during her routine, throwing off her whole performance.

The only times she feels completely safe is in Cathy’s home, and despite her struggles, they’ve only gotten closer as time goes by. Since their first night, Anne had started to sleep in Cathy’s room more frequently, which came along with kisses and cuddling, but making sure to slip away just early enough to welcome her daughter in the mornings.

They develop a routine of sorts, and as much as Anne appreciates everything that Cathy’s done for her and her daughter, she still can’t shake the feeling of inadequacy because not only was she not contributing to any of the house expenses despite having been there for a few months, but she knows that Cathy had adjusted her own routine since they’ve come along and hasn’t once heard a single complaint.

So when Anne manages to save up three months worth of rent for a flat that she’s been eyeing, she attempts to bring it up to Cathy one morning at the dining table.

“Anne, I know I probably should’ve gotten them earlier, but I finally ordered these safety locks for the kitchen,” Cathy says, not looking up from the morning paper as she takes a bite from her omelette. “I know El doesn’t run around a lot but can’t be too safe.”

“About that,” Anne frowns, and Cathy brings her hand down to look at her. “I actually found a flat. I’ve saved up enough.”

“Oh,” Cathy tries not to let her disappointment show on her face, but Anne has been around her long enough to notice. “That’s good, then.”

“It’s in a nicer neighborhood than the one before,” Anne offers, and Cathy tries her best to focus on the paper but she huffs, putting it down with a bit of force. She attempts to leave the table in a rush, her meal unfinished, but Anne catches her hand, furrowing her eyebrows. “What’s gotten into you? You know this is only temporary.”

Something cracks in Cathy’s heart, and she yanks her hand away, hiding up in her room. Elizabeth watches the exchange attentively, and she looks at Anne with curious eyes.

“Could you stay here for a bit, El? I just need to talk to Cathy for a while,” Anne asks, and she nods, focusing on her plate as she colored on the newspaper.

Anne all but runs up the stairs, knocking on Cathy’s door before letting herself in. Cathy was sitting on the floor with her back against the side of the bed, her hands clasped behind her neck and her head between her knees. She was shaking uncontrollably, and Anne feels the guilt gnaw at her heart.

“Cathy,” Anne whispers, sitting next to her. She tries to touch her knee but she jerks away, choking out a sob. “Cathy, will you listen to me?”

Anne doesn’t wait for a response.

“I know you'll never say this but I feel like I'm taking advantage of you. I live in your house, with my daughter, even, I don’t help pay for groceries or utilities or anything that we consume,” Anne starts frustratedly, a few tears slipping from her eyes. “You take care of El in the evenings, you move your meetings around, and you even wait up for me even when I tell you not to. You have adjusted so much of your life for us that it makes me feel so guilty.”

Cathy’s sobs calm down a bit, her fingers loosening from her neck slightly.

“I love living here, El loves living here,” Anne tells her, tentatively reaching up for Cathy’s hand. She coils up a bit before lacing her fingers with hers, fresh tears streaming down her face. “But I can't keep taking from you without giving you anything in return.”

Cathy mumbles through her tears, and Anne strains to understand her. Anne sits in front of her, taking both her hands in hers.

“I’m sorry for reacting that way, it’s just…” Cathy takes a shaky breath. “I like you being here. I enjoyed changing my routine, I liked working around the both of you because, God, it makes me feel alive, knowing that I have someone to wait up for and to take care of.”

“Cathy,” Anne whispers, kneeling in front of her and gathering her in her arms.

"I know you feel like you're taking advantage of me but you're not," Cathy reasons, her shoulders shaking. "Just by being here, you have made this house more livable than it has ever been. I have gone for so long without knowing what it feels like just waking up next to someone, eating at the dinner table, hell, even me being in my study has become so much more bearable because I know that you and El are just around the corner. Anne, I’m not lonely anymore." 

Anne's heart stutters and bleeds for her. Not knowing what else to do, she leans forward and kisses her knuckles, hoping it soothes her. 

“I know I can’t force you to, but will you move in with me?” Cathy looks at her, eyes puffy and bloodshot, but she doesn’t care. Anne cries as well, pressing her forehead against the crown of her head.

“I really, really want to,” Anne steels herself, the embarrassment taking over before she could get a chance to admit her inadequacy.“But you know I can’t afford this.”

“I’ve told you countless of times,” Cathy huffs, squeezing her hands tightly. “I’m not asking for you to contribute to the house, I have that covered. You keep your earnings from the club and put it towards El’s schooling like you’ve always planned to.”

“But—,”

Cathy’s voice drops to a whisper, suddenly insecure. “Are you happy here, Anne?”

“Yes,” Anne exhales, gently holding Cathy’s face in her hands. “Yes, Cathy. You have made me so much happier.”

“Then stay.” Cathy looks at her, eyes wide, slowly moving to touch her forehead to hers. “Stay with me.”

Anne closes her eyes, then nods.

“Okay.”

It all feels too fast for Anne’s liking, moving in with someone without even much of a label to them. But she decides to plunge right in, knowing that this was the most stability that she’ll ever get in her life. She’d be stupid not to take it.

“One condition.” Anne says, and Cathy’s head snaps up.

“Anything.”

“Be my girlfriend?” Cathy feels an aftermath of tears coming in, and she nods her head as she grins madly, wrapping her arms around her neck as she traps her lips against hers. 

“El’s still at the table,” Anne says as they pull away. “You up to finish your breakfast? You still have like, half an omelette down there.”

Cathy laughs breathlessly, stealing a few more kisses before standing up.

“Yeah,” Cathy nods. “And Anne?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”


	12. How Our Love Will Blow It All Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Thank you so much for all your love and feedback on the previous chapters. Things really have been moving quickly, and I tried to compensate that with a time jump in the last chapter. Just to confirm, they've already been flirting/dating but have only put a label on them when they were confronted with Anne bringing up the flat. I guess I haven't fleshed it out as clearly as I had hoped. 
> 
> Anyway, I do hope that clarifies things, and feel free to ask me questions over at my tumblr (little-bit-lost-and-found). 
> 
> Enjoy!

Two weeks after making themselves official, Cathy and Anne tell Elizabeth the news. Not surprisingly, she takes it rather well, having already noticed them kissing and cuddling together, but she was most excited about the fact that they didn’t have to move out anymore.

It takes Elizabeth a while to settle in, but when she does, there was this huge amount of space that was suddenly available to her to play in, and she was happy that it wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.

They’ve remodeled the guest room into Elizabeth’s bedroom, switching out the sheets and adding a desk and bookshelf filled to the brim with various titles, from board books to beginner’s story books, and even a few junior novels, all at Cathy’s insistence.

“She lives in an author’s home, so this is non-negotiable.” Cathy mentions to Anne when she surprises the both of them with the room, and Anne shakes her head, skimming through the titles. “Bottom rows are the picture books, top shelf are the chapter books. Nice, right?”

“Yes, but she’s just turning four. And,” Anne contests, pulling one out from one of the higher shelves. “I doubt she’s going to want to read Goosebumps anytime soon.”

“You’ll never know. That’s why I’m giving her a selection.”

“You’re such a nerd.”

Cathy and Elizabeth have formed their own little bond from Cathy looking after her in the evenings. Cathy reads children’s books to her before she goes to sleep, and would sometimes point out easy words for her to learn to read. Elizabeth enjoys these moments more that she lets on, so when she notices the shelf, she gives her a grateful smile.

Anne only realizes how close the two have become one evening when she didn’t have to go to the club. She was about to tuck Elizabeth into bed when she wriggles out from the covers and takes a thin picture book from the shelf, grabbing Anne’s hand and leading them out the room.

“Cathy might be doing something, we don’t want to disturb her,” Anne tells her, but Elizabeth knocks on the door anyway, turning the knob to let herself in.

Cathy looks up from her phone and spots the two of them by the door. Elizabeth holds up her picture book and Cathy grins, motioning her to come up on the bed. Elizabeth sprints, faster than Anne has ever seen her go to anyone, and puts the book in her hands, making herself comfortable against her side.

“She escaped the bed,” Anne chuckles, lying down on the other side of her daughter, trapping her in the middle. “I forgot you have her on most nights.”

Cathy blushes, and Elizabeth gently taps on her arm for her to start reading.

“Alright, alright,” Cathy laughs, opening the book. Anne knows that Elizabeth had grown to become more comfortable around Cathy, but it was the first time Anne had seen her daughter so engaged and at ease with someone else apart from her. She smiles when Elizabeth giggles at all the right parts, especially when Cathy changes her voice for the characters.

When Elizabeth dozes off to sleep near the end of the book, Cathy trails off, closing it and tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Anne attempts to carry her back but she immediately stirs, grabbing on to Cathy’s shirt and burrowing her face against her side.

“No,” Elizabeth drawls out drowsily, and Cathy puts the book aside to position her under the covers. She presses a light kiss on her forehead before looking up at Anne.

“Just for tonight?” Cathy almost begs, her heart racing at the fact that Elizabeth wanted to stay with her. “This is rare. I don’t want to let it pass.”

Anne relents, settling under the covers as well. She lies down on her side to face Cathy, her hand resting on Elizabeth’s hip over the duvet.

“Do you do that every night? Read to her, I mean." Anne asks gently. Cathy shifts to face her, and Elizabeth whines as she hides her face into her chest. Cathy lets out a breathless chuckle, resting her hand on top of Anne’s.

“Not at first,” Cathy keeps her voice low, not wanting to wake the little girl. “I remember her being restless one night, she was just lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. I felt bad, so I came up with a story on the spot.”

“Did it work?”

“Nope,” Cathy giggles. “I didn’t realize how invested she was until I stopped and she kept tapping my arm to make me continue.”

Anne laughs along.

“But I brought home a couple children’s books from the publishing house after that, and she seemed to like it so I kept going. It became something to look forward to, you know?” Cathy smiles. She pulls her hand away from Anne and embraces Elizabeth into her arms. “This feels nice. She’s like a little heating pad.”

“She is,” Anne agrees. “When she was little, I had the hardest time putting her down or letting her sleep alone in her room because she was so warm.”

“I can imagine,” Cathy yawns a bit. “By the way, I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. It shouldn’t take long, I’ll be home before you need to leave for the club.”

“Okay,” Anne hums, already closing her eyes. “Just text me if you run any later.”

The following afternoon, Cathy arrives at the publishing house and her editor greets her with a wide smile.

“What’s got you in a mood?”

“You,” Beni teases. “You’re glowing. Who’s the lucky bastard?”

“Don’t say that,” Cathy chastises, but fights off a smile. “Her name’s Anne.”

“Wait. Holy shit, Catherine Parr, you did not,” Realization dawns on her face. “I’m so proud of you! The girl from the club?”

“The one and only,” Cathy grins, walking with her towards the conference area. “She’s wonderful.”

“No wonder you submitted your initial chapters so fast,” Beni teases. “Hell, I’d be inspired to write everyday if I was dating a burlesque dancer. Does she dance for you at home? Gives you little private shows?”

“I thought we were here to talk about the book,” Cathy says, slightly uncomfortable with the teasing and Anne’s two-dimensional image in her head, and she was determined to change that. “Why did you call in for a meeting anyway? My deadline isn’t until next month.”

“About that," Beni cuts to the chase. "I know I gave you a go signal to write about this, but I'm still worried about how different it is from your usual content. I mean it's good, it's the most electric writing I've seen from you."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just don't know how the market will react to your name being associated to something so...risqué,” Beni reaches over to hold the top of her wrist. “The novel, did you base it on her?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Cathy was quick to correct. Cathy had only used Anne’s colorful burlesque life as a jumping point for her writing, but she’s made sure not to add things that Anne told her in confidence. She wouldn’t dare expose or break her heart like that. “But you said it yourself that it’s good, and I think it’s worth a shot. The market’s always on the lookout for something new, so why not this?”

Beni regards her words for a moment before sighing.

“I’ll side with you on this one for now,” Cathy perks up, but Beni gives her a pointed look. “But, if I don’t see a pick up on sales after the initial launch, we’re back to your old formula. Got it?”

Cathy nods. She’s not worried.

Meanwhile at home, Anne was cleaning up while Elizabeth was drawing in the living room. She turns the corner and sees that the door to Cathy’s study was slightly ajar. She’s never been inside since she never wanted to disturb Cathy whenever she was writing, but curiosity gets the best of her and she opens the door to find a full floor to ceiling bookshelf against the wall and a desk facing the door. There was a rug and a leather loveseat in the middle of the room, and opposite the bookshelf was a littered cork board. From afar, she could decipher a few photos of her from previous performances.

She steps further in the study to get a closer look, and there was a myriad of paper scraps and tissues with near undecipherable scribbles pinned on as well. She turns around to look at her desk which had her laptop and pen holder, and she's stunned to find a framed photo of Elizabeth and herself.

"It's not a shrine, I promise,"Anne jumps when she hears Cathy’s voice by the door. “I’d google photos for reference, but where’s the fun in that when you send me things like these?”

“I’m sorry, I was cleaning and the door was open,” Anne apologizes feebly, and Cathy puts her bag down on the loveseat before walking over to Anne, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Don’t worry, I haven’t read anything. You have the shittiest handwriting.”

“That’s shorthand, for your information,” Cathy lightly slaps her arm. “I learned it because I couldn’t seem to write fast enough when an idea came to mind.”

“That explains the tissues,” Anne laughs. “But doesn’t explain the writings.”

“I’ve told you that I’ve been writing a new novel. The night I met you, we were supposed to go around the clubs in the city but I told my editor that I didn’t want to go anywhere else anymore. When I got home, I couldn’t get you out of my mind,” Cathy reveals, resting her head on her shoulder as she stares at the cork board. “I just had to write about you, about burlesque and how different it is from what people think it is.”

“Your new book’s about me?” Anne trails off, her grip around Cathy loosening. Gears are starting to turn in her head, and when Cathy sees the hesitation in her eyes and she pulls her in closer.

“No, babe, nothing like that,” Cathy reassures. “I mean, yeah, that night I did write about you, but the novel, it’s not about you or anything you’ve shared with me. It’s not my story to tell.”

Anne nods, and her eyes flicker to the framed photo on her desk. Cathy follows her gaze and she ducks her head, slightly embarrassed.

“It keeps me going,” Cathy confesses. “The both of you.”

Anne lunges forward to kiss Cathy, pressing her against her desk.

“I trust you,” Anne whispers, and Cathy’s eyes snap up before snaking her arms around her neck. She feels like flying. “I love you.”

Cathy exhales, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I love you, too.”


	13. There's Nothing In Our Way

Anne wakes up to feather-light kisses on her neck. She stirs a bit, enjoying the sensation, until she feels a hand slithering up under her shirt.

“Someone’s eager,” Anne mumbles groggily, adjusting her eyes to the light. Cathy pulls her hand from under her shirt and cups her cheek, moving her head to the side to press her lips against hers. Anne smiles in between kisses, and squeals when Cathy swings her leg over her waist and lays down on top of her. “I don’t know what I did, but tell me and I’ll do it again.”

Cathy laughs, nuzzling her nose below Anne’s jaw. “Happy birthday, love.”

“Thanks, Cath.” Anne wraps her arms around her girlfriend, leaning down to kiss her hairline. “Best gift ever.”

“I haven’t even given you anything yet!” Cathy says, her head shooting up to look at her in the eye. Anne holds the side of her head and pulls it back to rest on her chest.

“You’ve already given me more than I could imagine,” Anne whispers into the crown of her head. “I don’t need anything else.”

They hear the doorknob turning and Cathy rolls back onto the bed, just as Elizabeth barrels towards them, clambering up and crawling on top of Anne.

“What is it with the both of you climbing me,” Anne laughs breathlessly, and she puckers her lips to her daughter, leaning up to kiss her soundly on the cheek. “Morning, baby. You sleep well?”

“H’ppy birthday, Mama,” Elizabeth lisps quietly, her smile beaming. Tears spring up in Anne’s eyes, and she sits up, squeezing her tight against her.

Anne chokes out a laugh through her tears. “I love that you’re talking, baby. You have no idea how happy you’ve made me.”

“Come on, El, let’s go prepare your Mama’s cake for breakfast,” Cathy stands up from the bed, and Elizabeth gasps, wriggling out of Anne’s hold and jumping into Cathy’s arms. She steps beck on impact but manages to catch her.

“What? No, cake is not breakfast food,” Anne protests, standing up from the bed as well. She starts to walk towards them but Cathy makes a run for it, keeping a laughing Elizabeth tight against her chest as she dashes down the stairs. “Come back here!”

“Never!” Cathy yells out, running straight to the kitchen. Anne catches up to them and grabs them from behind, taking Elizabeth from Cathy’s arms.

“No cake for breakfast. We’ll save it for after lunch,” Anne declares. Elizabeth pouts, and when Anne looks over to her girlfriend, she almost laughs at her similar expression. “You both are just terrible.”

“Mama, cake.” Elizabeth pleads, and Anne almost gives in right then and there. She was about to retort when she hears a voice from behind her.

“You heard the girl, and I think you deserve the cake.” Anne turns around and she gasps at the sight of Jane walking towards her. Anne feels herself tear up again since she hadn’t seen Jane since the incident. “Hi, darling. Happy birthday.”

“Jane! Oh my God, I’ve missed you so much,” Anne releases an arm from under Elizabeth to bring her friend into an embrace. “How did you get here? And it’s like ten in the morning, you’re still supposed to be asleep by now!”

“I might’ve given her a little call a few days ago,” Cathy admits sheepishly. “You’ve always been mentioning her so I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

“Your girlfriend here is quite the catch, Annie,” Jane’s tone is genuine, and Anne couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “And I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am for you.”

“Babe, I don’t know why you’ve made it your mission to make me cry so many times before noon,” Anne grumbles, swiping at her cheeks with her free hand. She puts Elizabeth down and grabs Cathy’s waist from behind, pulling her closer to her side. “No more surprises, alright? Christ, I’m such a mess.”

They forego breakfast and started to prepare lunch instead, with light conversation between the three women filling the room as they cooked. Jane tells stories about Anne and Elizabeth from when they were still neighbors over their meal, and they clear the table quickly for cake and presents.

“Is this really necessary?” Anne shifts uncomfortably in her seat as Cathy places a party hat over her head and Jane lights the candles on the cake. Elizabeth was on her lap, also sporting a party hat.

“Yes. Now, hush. Just enjoy it.” Cathy says, flickering her eyes to Jane before they start singing a customary happy birthday song. Anne smiles as she bounces her daughter on her lap, her hands wrapped tightly around her middle.

“Make a wish, love,” Cathy urges from the other side, and Anne leans down to whisper in her daughter’s ear. “Blow them with me, El.”

Elizabeth’s grin widens as she nods, and Anne counts to three before they blow the candles together. Anne claps Elizabeth’s hands together, kissing her cheek.

Cathy pushes a wrapped rectangular box towards her, and Anne tries to bite back a groan.

“I thought we’re not doing gifts,” Anne almost whines, and Cathy shakes her head, pushing it closer to her. Anne reluctantly rips open the paper and was stunned to see a hardback copy of Cathy’s new novel. “This is amazing, Cathy!”

“Go to the dedication,” Cathy instructs her, and Anne flips open to the first few pages. Her eyes skim over the words and she looks up at her girlfriend with a tender smile.

“This book is dedicated to the two most important people in my life. For A, my lucky charm, for E, my little love. Here for you always. ” Anne reads aloud, and Cathy leans down to kiss her on the lips. “Thank you for this.”

“You inspired me to write this, so it’s just right to give you the first copy,” Cathy smiles. Her eyes flicker down to Elizabeth, and she chuckles at how much frosting she had already swiped from the side of the cake. “Looks like someone’s excited for cake.”

Elizabeth freezes just as she was about to take another swipe. Looking incredibly guilty, she tears up a bit and she tries to squirm out of Anne’s lap to hide herself away. Anne holds her tight against her and to her surprise, Anne digs her fingers into the side of the cake, pinching a piece of it off to show her daughter that it was alright.

“Just for today, baby. Dig in.” Anne murmurs, and Elizabeth shyly sinks her tiny hand into the cake, grabbing a fistful of chiffon and frosting. She lets out a watery giggle, holding it up for Cathy to see before shoving it in her mouth. Cathy laughs as she followed suit, feeding a bit of cake to Anne with her fingers.

Jane watches the trio with an amused, albeit slightly horrified, expression on her face. But Anne definitely looks much happier than before, and she wasn’t about to interrupt their fun with a lesson on how to properly eat a cake.

“Are you staying over for tea, Jane?” Anne asks, and Jane holds back a laugh at the frosting smeared across her cheek. “I’m afraid I can’t stay for dinner, I’ve still got to work tonight.”

“Oh, Cathy hasn’t told you yet?” Jane glances at Cathy for a moment. “I’m staying tonight to look after El. Just like old times.”

“I thought I'd come swing by the club tonight. I’ve missed watching you,” Cathy admits, a small blush forming on her cheeks. “And I’m planning on taking you out after your set.”

Anne leans forward, her voice dropping down huskily.

“Well then, baby doll, I’ll make sure to put on one hell of show.”


	14. To All Our Guilt And Shame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! In case you haven't noticed, I've bumped up the rating and updated the tags for this fic because this chapter gets a bit heavy.
> 
> TW: Derogatory slurs, rape/non-con, violence.

Despite the rules, Anne brings Cathy backstage when they arrive at the club.

“Happy birthday, Anne!” Aragon immediately greets, standing Anne up from her station to kiss her soundly on both cheeks. Her eyes land on Cathy, and Anne follows her gaze.

“Oh, Aragon, this is my girlfriend, Cathy,” Anne introduces, and Cathy is already up from her seat, extending her hand out. “Hi Aragon, Anne’s told me so—oof!”

“No handshakes back here, sugar,” Aragon laughs as she squeezes the air out of Cathy. “And Anne hasn’t been shutting up about you either.”

“Don’t scare her, Ari,” Anne chuckles, sitting back down in front of her vanity. “Have I told you that Cathy’s a writer, Aragon? She wrote about burlesque, she gave me the first copy.”

“Like an article?”

“No, like a full length novel. It comes out in like two weeks, right?” Anne grins as she puts on her eyeshadow. Cathy blushes and Aragon brings her back into her arms.

“It’s so rare to find someone interested enough to write about what we do here for a living, and in a novel no less. Thank you, mija,” Aragon beams, and Cathy warms up to her immediately. “Tell your friends to come by, alright? We’ve been doing fine but the club could always use a little love.”

The other girls start to trickle in, and they all didn’t mind Cathy breaking the no-guests-backstage rule, remembering her as the woman who gave them a generous tip bonus. Kit keeps making glances towards Cathy, and when Anne catches her eye, she squeaks, snapping her head to the front.

“Kit, this is Cathy,” Anne smiles teasingly, knowing that the girl was a massive fan of her work. She didn’t piece together until a few weeks back that the Cathy that Anne talks about was the same author that she adored, and her being starstruck was an understatement. “Cathy, this is Kit. She’s a huge fan.”

“Annie!” Kit’s cheeks flame red. “I loved The Survivor, Miss Cathy. I couldn’t put it down.”

“Oh, thank you,” Cathy smiles, noticing a well-worn book on top of her station table. “That’s really kind of you to say.”

“I know it’s really weird but could you sign my book, please?” Kit asks tentatively, her fingers twitching towards the paperback copy. Cathy nods and Kit shoots up from her seat, placing the book in her hands. “Oh, I don’t have a pen! I’m sorry, let me just—,”

“I have one, don’t worry,” Cathy interrupts, fishing a pen out from her coat pocket and writing a little message on the cover.

“Occupational hazard,” Anne says cheekily, powdering on her blush. “I once woke up with scribbles on my thigh when one of Cathy’s stray pens got lost under the sheets.”

“Oh, you hush,” Cathy closes the book and gives it back to an excited looking Kit. “Here you go.”

Anna sees the entire exchange from her station across them and chuckles.

“Cathy, you’ve just made that girl’s entire year.”

“Hey, babe, Aragon left this new lipstick on my station. Says it’s smudge proof,” Anne says, leaning close to the mirror as she puts it on. It’s a stunning bright red that made her eyes pop. Anne smacks her lips a few times before straddling Cathy’s waist and sitting on her lap. “Mind if I test?”

Anne doesn’t wait to respond before she attaches her crimson lips to Cathy’s, and they hear wolf-whistles and cheers around the room as they make out. When Anne pulls away, she grins when she doesn’t see a single stain on her girlfriend.

“Damn, that’s good stuff,” Anne remarks, leaning away to look at herself at the mirror and was pleased to see her lipstick still intact. “Lipstick’s not bad, either.”

“Wait, I want to take a photo of the two of you,” Kit grins, taking her phone and angling it towards them. Cathy’s hands wrap around her waist, and Anne leans forward to press her cheek against hers as they smile for the camera.

When Aragon announces the half hour call, she gives Anne and Cathy a pointed look before leaving them to get ready for opening. Cathy stands up from her seat and pecks her cheek.

“I’ll be near the bar,” Cathy informs her, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “Break a leg.”

Anne brightens. “You’re my lucky charm tonight.”

Cathy makes her way to one of the round tables and a waiter promptly approaches her.

“Cathy Parr?” He asks, and Cathy nods, prompting him to place a bottle of wine on her table.

“Oh, I didn’t order this,” Cathy says to the waiter, but he only gives her a polite smile.

“Compliments of Madame Aragon,” He explains, and Cathy only sits back against the chair, shaking her head. The lights dim and Aragon steps towards the microphone, immediately spotting Cathy and giving her a wink.

The waiter clears his throat, picking up the bottle of wine. “May I?”

Cathy only nods, and he pops open the bottle and pours her a bit. She swirls it around and gives it a whiff before sloshing it around her mouth like how she sees pretentious people do it. She gives a satisfied hum and puts her glass down for him to fill it halfway.

“Leave the bottle, thank you.” Cathy requests, and he watches the waiter leave. At the corner of her eye, she spots Henry, and her blood boils. She remembers Anne revealing how Henry trashed her flat when she turned him down, and how nervous Anne gets when she spots him in the audience.

She turns her head back before he could spot her looking his way.

Her anger slowly dissipates when she sees a leg peep through the curtain, teasing the audience, before Anne finally enters through and stuns the crowd. Anne scans the room and immediately finds Cathy, keeping her eyes locked on her as she strips her costume pieces down.

Left clad in her signature g-string and rhinestoned bra, Anne works her way through the audience, straightening a few men’s collars before making a beeline towards her lover. She steals Cathy’s wine glass from her hand and takes a quick sip before placing it back on the table. She takes her by her coat’s collar and tugs her closer for a rough kiss, tongue and teeth clashing, and Anne comically wipes the side of her lips with her finger as she winks.

Cathy sits back on her seat as she stares at her girlfriend with adoring eyes, her beauty still making her stomach flutter even after months of being together. Henry watches the whole exchange and anger ignites within him, piecing everything together in his head.

Anne strikes her final pose, and to her surprise, the audience is up on their feet, clapping and cheering as she bows. Banknotes of all denominations are thrown at her on stage, and she gasps, giving them another bow as she picks up the notes as quickly as she can before strutting into the wings.

She holds up the wad of wrinkled cash, running towards Aragon across the backstage.

“Aragon, holy shit! People were throwing money at me on stage!” Anne tells her excitedly, placing the cash in her station drawer before changing into her next costume. “That’s only ever happened twice, and I didn’t lose a nipple pastie this time!”

Aragon only laughs, kissing Anne on both cheeks. “Consider that the club’s birthday gift to you. Now go, you have one minute!”

Anne finishes her set a bit earlier than the others, with Aragon taking her out of the last number. She fixes her bag first before removing her corset, leaving her in her sequined bra and beaded g-string. She was just about to unclasp the back strap when she feels two hands resting on her waist. With a small grin, she turns around but falls immediately when she sees Henry with a dangerous glint in his eye.

“No wonder you’ve been turning me down,” Henry seethes, digging her fingers into her hip. He rips the bra from her chest, leaving her in her pastie covers. She whimpers, trying her best to yell but no words come out. “Who would’ve thought that you’d be a dyke.”

Anne tries to wriggle out of his grasp but he has her trapped against her vanity desk. He traces his hand up and wraps one hand around her throat, effectively keeping her in place. He reaches down with his other hand and fumbles with his belt, and Anne’s eyes flood with tears, trying to squirm away.

“H-help,” Anne chokes out, and Henry’s grip around her neck tightens. She hears the audience cheer, indicating the end of the show, and she wishes for the girls come in to the dressing room faster.

“Don’t worry, darling,” He croons into her ear, unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down. He rips away the g-string and the beads explode to the floor as the garter snaps. “I’ll fuck the gay right outta ya.”

Anne is frozen in fear, her sobs stuck in her throat but tears continue to stream down her eyes. Aragon comes into the dressing room just as Henry lines up against her entrance. Henry turns his head, smirking as he sheathes his full length inside her, making her scream at the sudden intrusion.

“Security!” Aragon yells out, running forward to pull him away from her but he shoves her back. Henry slams his hips back but Aragon lunges at him, clawing at his eyes. He pulls out of Anne, his hands coming up to his face but manages to throw Aragon back and she hits her head against the corner of the table.

While Henry was distracted, Anne quickly reaches into her bag for her pepper spray and directs it near his eyes the moment he put his hands down. The girls flood into the dressing room and they startle at the sight. Kit goes straight towards Anne and offers her the oversized jacket from her desk to cover up. Anna feels something within her snap and she charges towards a pepper-sprayed Henry, easily tackling him to the ground.

“I told you to to stay the fuck away!” Anna yells as she throws random punches at Henry’s face, and the girls surround him, digging into any visible part of his body with their stilettos. Security guards burst into the room and the girls disperse to let them drag Henry’s unconscious body out. Anne, still shaken up, falls to her knees to help Aragon sit up.

“Aragon, are you okay?” Anne asks, her fingers ghosting over the nasty cut on her forehead, dried blood caking her hairline.

“I’m so sorry, I should’ve been here earlier, I should’ve had more security,” Aragon babbles, tears flowing. She had witnessed everything first hand and she doesn’t know what to do with herself. “I should’ve had a restraining order on that bastard when I had the chance.”

“No one’s to blame here, Aragon, just that sorry excuse for a man.” Anna says gently, opening and closing her fists, feeling her knuckles beginning to bruise. One of the girls have gone outside to grab Cathy, and when she sees Anne and Aragon on the floor, she rushes towards them.

“What happened, Anne? Are you okay?” Cathy asks frantically, placing her hand on her knee. Anne flinches at her touch, and when Cathy scans her body, she’s horrified to see bruising around her neck and a trail of dried blood staining her inner thighs. The dam breaks and Anne lets herself sob, falling forward and shaking her head frantically.

“I-I want to go home.” Anne whimpers against her shoulder, and Cathy immediately nods, helping her to her feet.

“Okay. Okay, let’s go home.”

Cathy waits until Anne cleans up and changes into comfier clothes before going inside the car. The ride home was dead silent, apart from a few sniffles from Anne. She reaches for Cathy’s hand and she intertwines her fingers with hers. Anne brings their joined hands up to her face, pressing her cheek against the back of her palm.

“Henry showed up backstage,” Anne whispers, and Cathy tightens her grip on the steering wheel. “He…he was about t-to…”

Anne takes another shaky breath, and Cathy doesn’t need for her to continue to know what she wanted to say.

“Did he?”

Anne shuts her eyes tight as her sobs come back in full force, clutching Cathy’s hand as it if were a life line. Cathy’s heart drops to the floor.

“That bastard.” Cathy grunts through clenched teeth as she pulls up to the driveway.

“I’m…I know you had plans but—,”

“That’s not important anymore.” Cathy reassures her, not wanting to initiate physical contact. “What’s important is that he’s taken away, and you’re safe at home now.”

Anne nods.

“I need to see my baby.” Anne whimpers as they walk inside, and they spot Jane by the living room watching a reality show on the telly.

“Go see her, I’ll talk to Jane.” Cathy whispers, and Anne lets go of her hand as she goes upstairs. Jane turns around and smiles when she sees Cathy approaching.

“You’re back early,” When Cathy doesn’t smile at her light tone, worry quickly takes over. “Is everything alright?”

“It’s a long story, but we had to cancel plans,” Cathy explains simply, not wanting to recount tonight’s events. “You’re welcome to sleep on the couch tonight, though. I know it’s late. I can pull out some pillows and a blanket.”

“Oh, no, no. That’s alright,” Jane tells her, standing up and collecting her bag by her side. “I really probably should get going. Please tell Anne I said goodnight.”

Cathy leads Jane to the door and gives her some money for a cab, which she graciously accepts. When she goes back upstairs, she peeks into Elizabeth’s room and she spots Anne lying down next to her as she watches her sleep, her hand resting on her stomach.

“Are you sleeping here tonight?” Cathy whispers loud enough for Anne to hear. Without a word, Anne stands up, leaning over to give her daughter a final kiss on the forehead before walking towards Cathy by the door.

They make their way to their room and get ready for bed. When Cathy was undressing, Anne looks at her underwear curiously. She’s never seen those on her before.

“You look amazing in lingerie,” Anne compliments, knowing her girlfriend never wore anything close to what she wears onstage. “Did you wear this for me?”

“Who else for?” Cathy tries to keep her voice light. Anne walks over to Cathy, a finger tracing the back of her thigh before helping her unclasp the hooks from behind. Anne removes her clothes until she’s fully bare, and she stops Cathy from pulling on an oversized shirt.

Cathy turns around and she flushes when she sees Anne also standing naked before her. Anne leads her towards the bed, and she curls up into a ball facing the window. Cathy lies down on the other side and Anne’s hand reaches out behind her. When Cathy spoons her, Anne locks her fingers with hers and keep it tight against her chest.

“I just want you to hold me.” Anne murmurs into their interlocked hands, pressing her lips against it as she curls into herself. Cathy whispers sweet nothings into her spine, hoping that she finds a bit of peace tonight.

“I’ve got you, love.”


	15. I'll Be Waiting Right Here

Anne doesn’t get up from the bed the next morning.

She was in an almost catatonic state, but after yesterday’s ordeal, Cathy doesn’t blame her. Anne was still trying to process yesterday’s events, and her body responds to the shock by not responding at all.

Cathy gives Anne’s bare shoulder a light kiss before dressing up and heading towards Elizabeth’s room. She was still asleep, and Cathy sits down by her bedside, not wanting her to be alone when she wakes up.

Elizabeth stirs after a few minutes, and Cathy gives her a sad smile.

“Morning, El,” Cathy greets, smoothing her hair down when she sits up. “Your Mama’s not feeling great today. But I'm here, though.”

Elizabeth doesn’t respond, but simply stares up at her then back to her hands on the duvet.

“Are you hungry, El?” Cathy offers, feeling slightly helpless. Elizabeth gives her a small nod and Cathy stands up to give her space to scoot down. To her surprise, the little girl raises her arms up to her, and Cathy immediately complies. She feels her heart grow tenfold when Elizabeth leans her head on her shoulder and reaches around to play with her hair.

“Come on, let’s look for some breakfast.”

Aragon sends Anne a text that goes unseen, saying that the club is closed tonight and hoping that she gets some rest. She doesn’t expect Anne to come back, not even until she feels alright to, and it’s the cross she’ll have to bear. Aragon still feels incredibly guilty despite reassurances that it wasn’t her fault, but her thoughts pile up in her mind and she can’t help but point the fingers back at herself.

It also doesn’t help that the incident was on the news this morning. Aragon, on top of her guilt, was struggling with the potential backlash of this on her livelihood. Henry was a prominent figure who was also a frequent patron, and him being labeled as a sexual predator only painted her club in a bad light.

Aragon tries to call, but Anne lets her phone ring through for a few times before she puts it on mute.

Downstairs, Cathy settles a bowl of cereal in front of Elizabeth. She would usually have one herself, but she doesn’t think she can stomach food right now.

“When you see your Mama later, I just want you to be careful, okay?” Cathy starts, and Elizabeth pauses her motions to look up at her. “She was hurt last night, and you might see it on her neck. She also might not talk a lot.”

Elizabeth’s bottom lip juts out. She’s never heard of her mother being hurt. Anne was always there whenever she didn’t feel well, and it seemed wrong to not do the same for her.

Elizabeth had half a mind to leave her food, but she hears Anne’s voice in her head and she rushes to finish her cereal before jumping off her seat. She all but runs up to their room and Cathy easily catches up to her, grabbing the doorknob before Elizabeth could reach for it.

“No, baby,” Cathy croons, and she sees tears brimming in Elizabeth’s eyes. She attaches herself to Cathy’s leg, burying her face into the side of her thigh. She grips at her shorts, sniffling. “Anne wants to be alone for now. I promise we’ll see her later.”

“Mama, please.” Cathy hears her mumble into her skin, and she doesn’t know if she was asking for Anne or if she was pleading and calling her Mama as well. She shakes her head at the thought and Cathy finally relents, keeping her hand on the back of Elizabeth’s head as she opens the door.

Cathy walks towards Anne’s side and her heart breaks at how glassy and glazed over her eyes look even when her daughter comes into her line of sight. Elizabeth walks forward near her and she spots the dark purple marks around her neck, making her frown.

Elizabeth takes a deep breath.

“Hi, Mama,” Elizabeth whispers, patting her cheek. Anne doesn’t flinch, her mind was still elsewhere. “Feel better.”

Elizabeth tries her best to budge her mother into reality. She leans forward to kiss her on the lips and she was getting more scared every time her mother doesn’t respond to her affection. Elizabeth's babbles are incoherent now, but she talks the most she’s ever talked and Cathy is gutted that Anne wasn’t completely lucid to properly listen to her.

Anne hears her daughter but none of her words go through her mind. She hates that she can’t bring herself to respond, hates that her girl was trying to comfort her when it’s her responsibility.

Elizabeth, in an act of desperation, goes under the covers and squeezes her little body against her, not at all minding that she doesn’t have any clothes on. She tries to wrap one of Anne’s limp arms around her but they just flop over her, breaking her heart even further.

“El,” Cathy whispers, trying to reach forward to take Elizabeth but she wraps her arms around her chest, clearly not wanting to let go of Anne.

“Mama, hol’ me,” Elizabeth whimpers into her neck, and Anne winces a bit at her little nose poking against the bruised skin. Elizabeth jumps at the movement, opting to press her forehead into her chest instead. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Hol', Mama, _please_.”

Something in Anne snaps, and very gently, her forearm comes up to Elizabeth’s back, her hand resting on the back of her head to keep her face against her chest.

Elizabeth wails at her touch, warm tears and saliva coating her mother’s skin. She wraps her little arms tighter around Anne, her leg hiked over her hip.

“Shh,” Anne husks out, her voice straining. “S’okay, baby.”

Cathy kneels down in front of the two of them, swallowing the lump in her throat as she cries as well. Anne is still staring out but her hands are occupied, her finger drawing little circles on Elizabeth’s scalp to appease her.

“How…how are you feeling?” Cathy asks tentatively, sniffling a bit. Anne’s eyes flicker towards hers, trying her best to hold her gaze.

Anne only hums in response, talking hurts her throat too much. Anne's eyes drop down to Elizabeth holding on for dear life, and a few tears slip from her eyes. She's still overwhelmed, and she's not sure if or when she'll be completely okay again, but having her girls--her family--surrounding her, she feels the burden lighten a little bit. She tries to focus on them.

"Fine," Anne manages to croak out, and she winces again when Elizabeth's head bumps against her neck as she adjusts. "Still hurts."

Anne hears a muffled apology from below her, and she struggles to bend her head down to kiss her daughter's forehead.

"Shh, no harm done, El," Anne reassures instead, and Elizabeth palms at the skin on Anne's back, tracing the bumps of her spine with her fingers. Anne looks back up at Cathy, frowning slightly. "I hate feeling invalid. I'll be up in a while, just give me a moment." 

“Hey, it's alright,” Cathy reminds her, leaning forward to press a light kiss on her forehead. She reaches her hand up and ghosts it over the back of Elizabeth’s head. "Take all the time you need, I'm just here. We'll take things one day at a time, alright?" 

Anne nods, visibly relaxing as she curls her body around Elizabeth, almost cocooning her. 

She mouths an ‘I love you’, and Cathy gives her a hopeful smile, mouthing the words back as tenderly as she can.

They'll be okay. 


	16. Just To Show You

A few weeks pass and Anne is starting to live a little bit more everyday, much to Cathy's relief. She still gets nightmares and flashbacks, but they’re not as frequent as before. She’s bit jumpier now, and a little more reserved compared to the confident snark that Cathy has grown to love, but as she promised, they’re taking it one day at a time.

With everything going on at home, Cathy has postponed her book launch despite everything already being mass printed, and much to her editor’s dismay. She knows where her priorities lie and she wasn’t about to split herself in half when one or the other could potentially be compromised. Anne also hasn’t returned to the club since the incident, but when Aragon tells her that business has been slow and they’re struggling to fill seats, she ponders on the thought of going back again.

“I was one of her headliners. I mean, I really would love to get back to the club but I don’t know if I’m ready,” Anne admits over breakfast one morning. She pokes at her oatmeal and sighs. “Aragon’s really struggling with this whole thing and I can’t help but feel responsible for it too.”

“Hey, what do I keep telling you?” Cathy tuts, looking up at her from her bowl. “None of this is your fault. If you want, I could come back to the club with you to talk to Aragon. I’m sure you could settle a little arrangement.”

“What arrangement? Christ, I don’t think I even fit in my costumes anymore,” Anne laments, swirling her spoon around in her bowl. “I think it’s going to take a while before I could fully get back into the swing of things, you know?”

“I’m sure you’ll do just great,” Cathy encourages, reaching over to wipe Elizabeth’s mouth. “You know I’m happy to go with whatever you decide.”

“I know, I know,” Anne exhales, running her hand through her hair. “I’ll tell Aragon we’re dropping by later. Wait, what about El?”

“We’ll just have to bring her with us,” Cathy suggests, but Anne shakes her head vehemently. “Oh, why not?”

“There are plenty of reasons why I don’t want her there,” Anne gives her a pointed look, and Cathy understands immediately.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” Cathy feels like she’s walking on eggshells now. “But I’m sure everyone there misses you a lot. Oh, how’s about you invite them here for lunch tomorrow? At least you’re in a familiar environment, and if you want to come with them when they go to the club afterwards, you can.”

Anne sighs deeply, reaching out for Cathy’s hand. “Cathy…”

“No, no, it’ll be fun! It’ll be a nice treat for everyone, we’ll order in some food, make an afternoon out of it,—,”

“They don’t know about El.” Anne reveals, shrinking a bit into her seat. “Only Aragon knows about her. Kit, Anna, and the other girls, they came on only after I came back.”

“Oh, you’ve never mentioned,” Cathy tries her best to salvage the situation. Anne hasn’t been out for weeks, and Cathy knows that Anne was starting to crave human contact apart from her and El. “I just wanted to give you options.”

“I know, and I love you for that,” Anne tells her, not wanting her to get the idea that she was cross. Inviting them over sounded a lot more comforting, but she also doesn’t want Cathy to go through all the hassle of preparations. She takes a deep breath, squeezing her hand. “I’ll tell Aragon to expect the three of us there.”

Cathy nods, leaning forward to kiss Anne’s knuckles.

“I’m proud of you,” Cathy tells her, and Anne smiles a bit, spooning a bit of cooled down oatmeal into her mouth. “Hey, El? D’ya hear that? We’re going out later this afternoon.”

Elizabeth beams, knowing full well that trips out are rare and always a treat. The past couple of weeks with Anne trying to recuperate have also impacted Elizabeth’s use of speech. She’s been much better at expressing her thoughts now—it’s mostly to make Anne happy, but it was a grand effort, nonetheless.

When Cathy pulls up at the club, Anne tries to convince every bone in her body from telling Cathy to drive back home.

“You alright?” Cathy asks, sensing her distress. “Deep breaths, love.”

“S’okay, Mama,” Elizabeth pipes up from her carseat, making Anne chuckle a bit despite her anxiety. She takes a few shaky breaths before unbuckling her seatbelt.

“Okay. Okay, let’s go.”

They come in a bit earlier than the girls’ call time to avoid crowding. They go straight into Aragon’s office, and the minute she sees her by the door, Aragon rushes forward to embrace Anne into her arms.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Aragon exhales, and Anne lets go of Elizabeth’s hand to properly wrap her arms around her. “How are you?”

“Better,” Anne replies curtly, and her hand drops to the crown of her daughter’s head. “Before anything, though. Aragon, this is my daughter, Elizabeth.”

Aragon’s smile is unparalleled as she drops down to Elizabeth’s level, waving her hand. “Hi there, little one. I’m your Auntie Aragon.”

Elizabeth looks up at Anne shyly, her hands clutching the hem of her shirt.

“Go ahead, baby, say hi,” Anne encourages, squatting down to her level as well. Elizabeth only took this opportunity to wrap her arms around Anne’s neck, hiding her face into her chest. “She’s a bit shy. But she’ll come around.”

“She’s gorgeous,” Aragon comments, grunting as she comes back up to standing. She moves to Cathy and gives her a tight hug as well. “Great to see you again, Cathy.”

“You too, Aragon,” Cathy smiles politely. They make themselves comfortable on the chairs across Aragon’s desk before she starts.

“So. Since the incident, the media has put the club in a compromising light, for the lack of a better term,” Aragon explains, clasping her fingers together over her table. “Even on slow days, we used to never have an empty table, but now we’re struggling to fill even half the room. Everyone’s still being paid normally, but without the tips, it’s a bit hard on all of us.”

Anne only nods, and Elizabeth sits contentedly on her lap, playing with her fingers wrapped around her waist.

“I know that I’m asking for a lot, reaching out for you to come back,” Anne frowns at how hesitant Aragon looks—she’s never seen her in that state the whole time she’s known her. “But you’re one of my best girls. People come here to see the show, but a good amount of them come to see you.”

Before Anne could respond, Aragon continues. “I’ve doubled up on security, and at any sign of harassment, they get tossed and banned. It was one of my biggest mistakes, allowing him to keep coming back, and for not being able to protect you the way that I should’ve.”

“Aragon, I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to convince myself that what happened to me wasn’t my fault, and I really hope that you start doing the same,” Anne tells her, tears starting to brim in her eyes. “I don’t blame you for anything that happened.”

Aragon dabs her inner sleeve at the corner of her eyes, nodding slightly.

“I’d love to come back,” Anne says, and Aragon perks up. “But I don’t think I’ll be able to dance full time.”

“I completely understand,” Aragon tells her. “We can work out a schedule this week, then get you into rehearsals again by next. Would that be enough time for you?”

“I think so, yeah,” Anne agrees, looking over at Cathy who looks to be deep in thought. “Cathy?”

“I was just thinking,” Cathy murmurs, sitting up straighter in her seat. “If I could do my book launch here? It would bring a lot of great coverage, you could even have the girls perform a number. I can also arrange to have portions from the book sales to go directly to the club.”

“Cathy, that’s very generous,” Aragon says, her voice slightly wavering. “I have zero idea on how to handle a book launch, but I’m willing to learn.”

“We usually hold them in bookstores because, well, it’s a book,” Cathy chuckles to herself. “But it can be an immersive thing, something fun for a change. I’ll talk to my editor after this, but I think I can get her on board.”

“Are you sure?” Anne asks, knowing from her stories that her editor didn’t feel confident enough with her new title. “I’m no expert, too, but I know that it probably costs a lot more to hold it here than in a bookstore.”

“It's worth the risk,” Cathy puts her foot down. “This club is where I met you, Anne, so of course it means something to me, too. I’d do anything to help.”

Anne’s heart skips a beat at her words, and she leans over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Aragon smiles at the pair, clearing her throat as she pulls out a pen and notepad from her drawer.

“Alright, so where do we begin?”

They discuss a few general details about Anne’s schedule and the book launch, and Cathy manages to put Beni on speaker phone to let them know their plans for the latter. To Cathy’s surprise, her editor was all for it, and made sure to get Aragon’s phone number as well so they could further talk by themselves.

“Are you staying tonight?” Aragon asks, settling aside her notes. “We sure could use some people.”

“We’d love to, Ari, but…” Anne trails off, motioning to a drowsy Elizabeth in her arms. Aragon shakes her head.

“Oh, yes, of course!” Aragon corrects herself. “But I’m looking forward to seeing you again next week. Things haven’t been the same without you, mija. The girls miss you as well.”

“I’ll make sure to pass by the dressing room before we leave, I’m sure they’re all there by now,” Anne tells her. “Also introduce them to the little one.”

“I forget that they don’t know you’re a mother,” Aragon chuckles. “And a really good one at that. She’s such a sweet girl, behaved one, too. Wonder where she gets it from.”

“Certainly not from me,” Anne laughs, standing up. Elizabeth reaches for Cathy and she takes her happily, settling her on her hip. Aragon goes around to embrace them again before seeing them out her office and letting them go straight to the dressing room.

Before Anne opens the door, she takes Elizabeth’s hand.

“Baby, you’re about to see Mama’s friends,” Anne briefs her, kissing her head. “They can get a little loud, and they’re all going to want to say hi to you. If it gets too much, just let me know, alright?”

Elizabeth nods, squeezing Anne’s fingers.

“Atta girl.” Anne smiles before taking a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”

The minute Anne opens the door, all heads turn towards her and in a flash, excited squeals fill the room as they rush towards her, enveloping her in a group hug. Choruses of ‘I miss yous’ and ‘Oh my Gods’ resound in her ears, and Anne could only laugh, not realizing how much she’s missed them.

“Miss Cathy, hi!” Kit is the first to break from the group, and she doesn’t at all ignore the little girl in her arms. “And who’s this?”

“Oh, she’s so cute! Hi, baby girl,” One of the girls fawn over her, and Elizabeth, slightly overwhelmed, hides her face against Cathy’s neck.

“Want mama,” Elizabeth manages to whisper in Cathy’s ear, balling the fabric of her sleeve in her fist. Cathy nods, kissing her forehead before walking through the swarm of girls and tapping Anne’s arm.

“She wants you,” Cathy fights back a grin at the confused stares they were getting. Anne doesn’t pay them any mind the minute Cathy speaks, taking her daughter in her arms and keeping one hand on her back.

“Can I introduce you, El? Can you wave at everyone?” Anne whispers in Elizabeth’s ear, and she hears her swallow first before nodding, resting her head against her shoulder.

“I know it’s long overdue, but I want you all to meet my daughter, Elizabeth,” Anne smiles, and Elizabeth gives a small, tentative wave, making the girls coo and ‘aww’.

“I never would’ve known,” Anna grins, walking forward to kiss Anne on the cheek. “Also, my respect for you has only grown. Like, exponentially.”

“Thanks, Anna. I missed you, too,” Anne laughs. She notices Kit shifting around, and Anne opens her arm out for her to jump into. “You too, Kit.”

“Oh, Annie, it really hasn’t been the same without you!” Kit squeaks, hugging her side tightly. “But I hope you’re alright.”

“I’ll be back next week, don’t you worry,” Anne whispers conspiratorially to her, and Kit gasps, her eyes excited. “But don’t tell anyone else. I want it to be a surprise.”

Kit giggles as she nods, squeezing her side one last time before letting her go.

“Your daughter’s really cute, by the way!” Kit adds, stroking Elizabeth’s arm with her finger. “You danced almost every night and still had to raise her. You’re like a really hot superwoman.”

Anne guffaws loudly at her comment, ruffling her hair.

“You always know how to make me smile, Kit,” Anne giggles, hiking Elizabeth up higher on her hip. “Break a leg tonight.”

“Thanks, Annie!” Kit beams, and Cathy moves closer to her girlfriend, wrapping her arm around her waist.

“You’re glowing,” Cathy teases, and Anne could only shake her head. The club definitely held more happy moments than difficult ones, and she knows that she’s back to her home away from home. She peers around and spots her station next to Kit’s, a bit neater than she remembered but was relatively untouched. “I bet you really missed them.”

Anne fights off a watery smile.

“Yeah, I do.”


	17. Eyes Locked In Downcast Love

They manage to put together the book launch in three weeks.

Aragon pulls out all the stops, making sure that the club was clean and alcohol was in full supply. The club hasn’t been this packed in weeks, and since this was such a unique event, Beni makes sure to invite not only the press, but also the other authors under the publishing house to further fill up the tables.

“Well, don’t you look ravishing,” Beni compliments Cathy as she walks into the dressing room. The girls have made it their responsibility to be Cathy’s personal glam squad for the launch, and Cathy indulges them, only slightly regretting her decision. She has never worn so much make up in her entire life. “Are you performing too?”

“Oh, shush,” Cathy swats her arm. She looks into the mirror one final time and was genuinely pleased at the turn out. She wore her hair naturally, but the make up and her power suit completed her look. “I’ll come out in a bit to mingle. How’s the crowd?”

“It’s packed. Cameras are everywhere,” Beni beams, stroking her thumb across her cheek. “This is also probably the biggest thing you’ve ever had me do. Be grateful that I love you.”

“That’s why I’ve never looked for another editor,” Cathy muses, allowing Beni to take her hand and pull her away to the floor area. She sees everyone in their seats, and she approaches a familiar group of people by the far end of the club.

“What are you doing back here? There’s still nice seats open up front,” Cathy greets, hugging her fellow authors. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“It sure beats a bookstore, that’s for sure,” One of them pipes up, taking a swig from her beer. “And we’re fine here. Sticking to the introvert author cliché, you know. How’d you get them to agree to this?”

“We pulled a few strings,” Cathy smiles. “And hey, I’m just as introverted as you lot. I promise, the experience is much better up close.”

They protest a bit more, and Cathy lets it go, knowing that she can’t sway them no matter how much she tries. She makes her rounds, chatting with a few more friends and taking a few photos, before the lights come down and Aragon comes on stage.

“Welcome everyone to Club Q, I'm Aragon, owner of the house, and we’re honoured to be holding Catherine Parr’s book launch for her new title, _Emerald_.” Aragon announces over the microphone, and she waits for the applause to die down before continuing. “We all know that reading and imagination can get you far, but my girls and I want to give you a little, first hand experience, would you say, of what burlesque is all about. Queens? Show them how it’s done.”

The curtains rise and Aragon exits the stage, and the girls are thrilled to be performing not only to a full house, but to a filming audience as well. They rarely dance with cameras rolling, and they’re going to make it worth it.

Backstage, Anne waits by the wings, trying her best to shake off the jitters. Cathy didn’t want to be pushy, but she’s been hinting to Anne that she wanted her to be the main performance during her launch. She relents after a few days of elbowing, but she’s only been on stage for a week since her short sabbatical and she’s been running her routine in her head for days leading up to this afternoon.

To say that she was afraid of messing up was an understatement.

“You’ll do wonderful,” Anne jumps at Aragon’s hand on her shoulder. “Just keep your eyes on your girl and you’ll do fine.”

“Okay, okay,” Anne exhales deeply, putting on her best show face as soon as the girls hit their final pose. She comes on center stage as they exit, and she spots Cathy sitting dead center, watching her as if it was her first time again. Anne’s smile becomes genuine, and she nails all her costume strips just before walking down into the audience.

She plays around with blowing kisses to the cameras, and not wanting to embarrass her girlfriend, simply fixes her coat collar and gives her a wink before moving around to tease a few more patrons. She comes back on stage and unclips her bra, and she was surprised by the gasps from the audience as she takes it off. She smashes her final pose, and she bows to a loud applause from the blushing crowd.

Cathy looks around to assess everyone’s reactions, and they seem to still be processing what had just happened on stage. She checks on her author friends in the corner and most, if not all, look slightly scandalized at the sheer amount of nudity they were presented with even from afar.

Hushed murmurs fill the room and Cathy’s anxiety skyrockets. Beni introduces Cathy on stage, and she steals a vodka shot from a random table before making her way up to the platform.

She’s used to smaller crowds, but these are familiar people, both in her world and Anne’s. She thinks she can handle this much.

“First of all, I just want to thank Aragon for letting us hold the book launch here at her club, and the lovely performers for putting on such a wonderful show,” Cathy starts, and they all clap politely at her words. “One of the reasons why we’re in Club Q today is because this very place is the inspiration for my novel, and I wanted everyone to feel the rush and thrill that I felt when I first came here months ago.”

She hears a low commotion from the wings and she spots Anne surrounded by the girls, watching her make her speech. Anne blows her a kiss and Cathy grins.

“I’ll have to admit, I was apprehensive when I first visited the club,” Cathy tells the crowd, and they listen with rapt attention, some of them with their phones out to record her. “But the minute those lights went down, I was just enchanted. I immediately felt welcomed and empowered in this space, and I’ve fallen in love with more than just the concept and artistry of burlesque, but also with how fiercely proud this community is of what they do.”

“This novel, this story revolves around one woman, but I know that the experience may be universal. I wanted this to be a reflection of the stories of people in this industry, and I wanted to shine a bigger light on the validity of their profession. I want my readers to know that these people are more than just entertainment—they also have feelings and individual lives to live.” Cathy says with a firm strength in her voice that it warranted another round of applause, and wolf-whistles from the girls standing in the wings.

“Before I end, I just want to announce that a portion of the sales from this book will go directly into funding Club Q and the livelihoods of the performers you’ve just seen a few moments ago,” Cathy smiles. She takes the book in her hand and raises it up in the air. “This one is for them. Thank you!”

Cathy walks over to where the girls were standing off stage and Anne steps forward to kiss her square on the lips. One of the media seated in the far corner catches this, and he pulls his phone out to take a quick picture.

“That was one hell of a speech,” Anne compliments, walking deeper into backstage and towards the dressing room. The girls express their gratitude and love in group mumbles, and Anna pops open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Cathy grins, hugging her girlfriend tightly. “I’m so proud of you.”

“And I’m proud of you,” Cathy returns the praise. “You were stellar out there, didn’t even miss a beat. I expected more than a collar fix, though.”

Anne laughs, kissing her cheek. “Don’t worry, babe. I promise to sort you out at home.”

“TMI,” Anna calls out, making everyone laugh. She hands each of them a flute of champagne and they raise their glasses in a group toast. “But here’s to Cathy’s book and Anne’s return!”

“Here, here!” They cheer, clinking their flutes together. Beni and Aragon come into the dressing room, grinning at the festivities.

“Cathy, babe, not going to lie, we had a bit of a rough start,” Beni tells her, and Cathy only nods. She noticed it too. “But your speech was golden. A lot of them are leaving now but they seemed happy with what you said, and I can’t ask for anything more.”

“Oh, I’m glad,” Cathy manages to say before Beni’s tapping away on her phone.

“We got the launch out of the way, and now we have to wait for those reviews to come in,” Beni informs her. She looks up from her phone with a smile. “I’m not worried, though. After this, I’m certain that you’ve got another bestseller.”

Cathy beams, and Aragon hands her a copy of the book and a marker.

“I’m going to display this in my office,” Aragon teases, and Cathy blushes as she signs the cover. “You have been such a blessing to this club, Cathy. Thank you.”

Much to Aragon’s joy, the club starts gaining traction after the launch. More and more people are flocking to the new hottest spot in town, and she’s even come to the point of turning people away due to overcapacity. A good majority of them have been women who wanted to see the real-life inspiration for the book, both the place and the burlesque dancer who looks similar to the descriptions detailed in the novel.

Cathy was thrilled that Anne is finally getting the recognition that she deserves, but she also can’t help but feel slightly possessive of her girlfriend every time she mentions women giving her little trinkets and letters backstage. (Anne never gives them the time of day, though, and often forwards the letters to Cathy since they’re mostly about the book anyways).

When Anne comes home one night after a show and sees that Cathy’s waited up for her, she puts her bag down on the chair and chats with her as she dresses out of her street clothes.

“Hey babe, d'yknow that there was this one lady who came up to me during intermission,” Anne rambles, changing into an oversized tee. “She asked if I could sign your book, which I think was pretty funny because I didn’t write it.”

When Cathy doesn’t look up from her book, Anne frowns.

“What’s gotten you so grumpy?” Anne pouts jokingly, getting under the covers and snuggling against her side. Anne pulls her book away after seeing that Cathy was far from focused on it. “Tell me what’s wrong, love.”

“Was she pretty?” Cathy grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest. Anne cocks her head to the side, not exactly sure what to do since Cathy was rarely in a sour mood. After realizing what she had said, she curls into a ball and faces away from Anne. “Forget I said anything, it’s stupid.”

An amused twinkle glimmers in Anne’s eyes, and she spoons her from behind.

“Oh, baby, she doesn’t hold a candle to you,” Anne croons into Cathy’s ear. She flips her around to face her and kisses her fiercely. “She doesn’t have your pretty eyes.”

Anne flutters her eyelashes against hers. “Your smile,” Anne moves down, pecking her lips and making her blush. “Your little lion mane that I spit out of my mouth every morning.” Cathy giggles at this, swatting her chest.

Anne covers Cathy’s face in kisses as she whispers all the things she loves about her until she was smiling from ear to ear. Anne mirrors her grin as she rests her forehead against hers.

“I’m sorry that you were feeling jealous. I mean, look at me, I’m a total smoke show,” Anne jests, and Cathy lets out a laugh. “But I hope that you trust me enough when I say that I love you, and my eyes are focused on you.”

Anne kisses down her neck, gently nipping at her skin. “Only you,” she murmurs before coming back up and capturing her lips with hers. “Always.”

In a blink, Cathy flips them over, straddling her waist. She leans down to place open mouthed kisses on Anne’s neck and chest, making her moan. “Mine.”

“You should get jealous more often,” Anne smirks, but her resolve weakens when she feels Cathy’s hand palming at her breast from under her shirt. “I like—shit, _don’t stop_ —I like this side of you.”

“I want…I want to mark you,” Cathy pants, and Anne brings her hands up to the back of her head, keeping her lips pressed against her skin and giving her silent permission.

“I’m yours,” Anne exhales. “I’m all yours.”


	18. The Sea of Fools Has Parted For Us

“Tell me honestly. White or blue blazer?”

Cathy holds up her options her in hands while Anne and Elizabeth have breakfast at the dining table. Anne looks at her thoughtfully for a moment.

“None. The button up’s a nice look,” Anne says with finality from the other side of the table. “Now come and eat before you leave.”

“I can’t, Beni’s on her way to pick me up and I don’t want to throw up,” Cathy protests, putting her blazers down over the backrest of the chair. “I’ve never done a TV interview before.”

Since her book’s take off, Cathy's editor has been swamped with interview requests on all platforms imaginable. She’s managed to filter out and schedule Cathy’s guest appearances over the span of two weeks, which both thrilled and terrified her to the core.

A perk she appreciates about being an author, though, was that there was very minimal attention and interest in her personal life, and she intends to keep it that way.

“I promise, just two bites. I’m not letting you leave until you do,” Anne threatens lightly, and Cathy reluctantly reaches out for a buttered piece of bread. “Thank you. And I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“Hmm,” Cathy takes another tentative bite, speaking around a mouthful of bread. “I don’t know, I’m just really nervous.”

Cathy finishes the slice just as Anne leans down to whisper something in Elizabeth’s ear. In a flash, she jumps down from her seat and walks over to Cathy’s side, wrapping her arms around her middle.

“Love you,” Elizabeth mumbles into Cathy’s chest, and she hugs her back, pulling her up to sit her on her lap.

“I love you too, El,” Cathy whispers back, pressing her lips on the crown of her head. She looks up at Anne with a knowing look. “I need this, thanks.”

“Never failed me,” Anne grins, shifting her focus back to her breakfast. They hear a car horn beeping from outside, and Cathy immediately stands up with Elizabeth in her arms.

“One last squeeze for good luck,” Cathy requests, and Elizabeth giggles as she embraces her tightly before being let down. Cathy rushes to Anne’s side and gives her a quick kiss. “Love you, see you later.”

“Go smash it, babe. Love you!” Anne calls out as Cathy makes her way to the door.

Cathy gets into the car and Beni greets her with a smile.

“How’s my newest celebrity?” Beni teases, and Cathy feels her face flush as she sinks down into her seat. “Oh, lighten up. We’ll be in and out in a flash, it’s just a short segment and you won’t have to do another one until next week.”

“Yeah, I’m not exactly thrilled that I have to do it again,” Cathy runs her fingers through her hair. “I just want to get this over with and go back home.”

Beni gives her a sympathetic smile as the driver takes them to the station. She gets directed towards hair and make up immediately, and Beni makes sure to take photos of her by her guest dressing room door.

“I’m sending this to you, and you better post it or else I’ll do it for you,” Beni tells her as she snaps multiple photos. Cathy huffs but does as she was told, adding in a caption telling people to tune in this morning for her segment.

Almost immediately after she posts, she receives a direct message notification from Anne. The first one was a photo of her and Elizabeth smiling on the couch, and she taps the screen to see a video of Elizabeth pointing at the telly when she sees Cathy’s photo appear as they announce the upcoming guests.

Cathy grins as she replays the video, responding with multiple heart emojis before putting her phone back in her pocket. One of the stage hands come in to the dressing room to call her to standby a few minutes later, and she feels her heart wanting to jump out of her chest.

“You’ve got this, babes. They sent in their questions about the book last week and you’ve rehearsed your answers. If they go off tangent, sway them back and I’ll make sure to not get them again,” Beni tells her as they walk towards the set. Cathy nods as she shakes her hands, recalling her spiels.

When they announce her name to come up on the set platform, she takes a calming breath before putting on a smile as she greets the host.

“Good morning, Cathy. It’s so nice to have you on here,” The host smiles behind his table, and Cathy drinks a bit of water from the mug in front of her.

“Pleasure’s all mine, thanks for having me,” Cathy says politely.

“I must admit, I’ve been a fan of your writing for a while, and when I saw that you had a new title, I just grabbed it immediately,” The host grins, pulling out a copy of her book to display to the camera. “It’s so different from your other books and I just want to know, what made you want to stray away from your usual style?”

“Well, I was out with my editor one night and she took me to this burlesque club in the city. I remember just being so entranced by the energy that I couldn’t not write about it,” Cathy mentally pats herself on the back for getting through her response without fumbling over her words. “I guess it was something that just had to be written. Even though it wasn’t what I usually write about, the whole idea was just too compelling for me to ignore.”

“And speaking of compelling, I’m sure that the club wasn’t the only thing that compelled you to work on this novel,” The host says slyly, and Cathy furrows her eyebrows at him. “We’ve noticed that the protagonist of your story, based on your descriptions, matched the stripper from your book launch to a tee.”

Cathy grimaces at his choice of words. As he talks, he pulls out a professional looking shot of Anne during the first few minutes of her routine, still decently covered but was halfway through shimmying out of her corset.

“Oh, um, I don’t deny that she was a basis for her look, but—,”

“You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that you liked researching deeply about the subjects of your books, almost like method-acting, if you will,” He interrupts Cathy’s mumbles, looking at her pointedly and wanting to fish out as much information as he can. “How far deep did you go for this novel?”

“What do you mean?” Cathy tries to calm her trembling hands. He pulls out a final photo, also from her book launch, of her and Anne kissing in the wings. Cathy staggers a bit, her eyes bulging.

“W-where did you get that?”

“Tell us, Cathy, is this real or just your research? Did you get close to her to get details for your book?” He knows that he caught her off guard, but it was just too delicious of a story to pass up and he wanted to be the first to expose.

Cathy’s eyes glaze over with tears, looking at Beni standing next to the camera with a panicked expression. Beni was tapping furiously on her phone, wanting to know why they had gone behind their backs.

With a frustrated huff, she lays it out for the public.

“First of all, I think it’s rude to go off tangent when we’re supposed to be talking about the book alone,” Cathy snarks out, swiping at her cheek when a traitor tear falls out. “If you’re so keen on knowing, yes, I am dating the woman from the club.”

“But was she—,”

“Stop interrupting me.” Cathy snaps, and he sucks his lips in as he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Yes, she was my muse but in no way is the book based on her or her life. That’s her story to share, not mine. And I am offended that you would think that I would hurt another person like that.”

The host opens his mouth to speak but Cathy butts in, her anger fueling her words.

“And another thing! She is a burlesque dancer, not a stripper. I’ve made that difference clear in the book, but I guess you haven’t read it as thoroughly as you said,” Cathy almost snarls, her fists clenched over her knees. “But you know what’s just sad? It’s that these people, whether they’re burlesque dancers or strippers, are being discriminated no matter what they do because of ignorant people like you.”

“I was just trying to…” The host trails off, and his eyes flicker up to the teleprompter but he knows that he’s already strayed too far to salvage his image.

“Thank you for your time, but I hope you know that you’ve just wasted mine.” Cathy gets up from her seat and storms away and towards the dressing room with Beni following not too far behind her. She takes her bag from the vanity chair and goes straight back out to the car, only leaving when Beni slides in next to her breathlessly.

“Why the fuck did he think he could get away with that?” Cathy finally lets her tears flow freely, and Beni reaches over to rub circles on her back. “Christ, Anne was watching. What if she didn’t finish the whole thing? What if she gets angry at me? I can’t have that, Beni. I don’t know what I’d do with myself.”

“Hey, could you breathe for me, babes?” Beni asks her, and Cathy gives her a small nod as she swallows down her sobs. “You did good, putting him in his place. I’ve talked with the producer and she said that he pulled the rug from under all of them with this one, and she really regrets that it happened.”

“That bastard,” Cathy grits out, wiping her tears away with a tissue Beni handed to her. “I’ll have more than just a word the next time I see him.”

“Take it easy, Cath, and I’m sorry that your first appearance had to happen like this,” Beni frowns, noticing how Cathy stiffens up when they pull up to their driveway. “I’ll make sure the next ones go according to plan. You go and rest. Or have a bottle of wine. You deserve that much after dealing with so much before noon.”

Cathy lets out a shaky exhale, pulling her editor in for a hug before stepping out of the car. She makes her way inside the house, bracing herself for any possible scenario but her mind immediately goes to the worst when she doesn’t spot Anne in the living room.

She makes her way upstairs to put her bag down and she doesn’t find Anne there either. Not having the strength to check Elizabeth’s room, she goes inside the en suite bathroom and runs herself a bath instead, wanting to cleanse herself from her morning ordeal. She fills the tub up with the knob turned to the hottest setting.

With a shaky breath, she strips off her clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor. She hisses at the scalding hot water touching her skin, but she takes another deep breath as she plunges the rest of her body into the tub, resting her back against the side and forcing her bones to melt into the heat.

She closes her eyes shut as she hugs her knees to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. She doesn’t want to confront Anne yet, if she was still even here, and the thought of her leaving without notice was something she couldn’t imagine coping with. 

But at the same time, she wouldn’t blame her if she did.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t notice Anne coming into the bathroom and kneeling on the floor next to her. Cathy feels a cold hand on her back and she jumps, but the sight of Anne’s face makes her cry that much harder.

“I’m…I’m s-sorry,” Cathy struggles out, not bothering to wipe her tears away. Anne’s heart breaks at how frail she looks inside the tub, and she taps her finger at the water, frowning at the harsh temperature.

Anne stands up from her position, and Cathy freezes, turning her head to watch her walk away, only to return with a bottle of bath foam and squeezing it into the water. Anne flips the faucet to add in a bit of cold, letting the bubbles build up.

“You think there’s room for one more?” Anne asks gently, and Cathy only sniffles, managing a small nod. Anne removes her sleep clothes and steps into the tub, sitting on the opposite side of Cathy.

“Come here,” Anne opens her arms, and Cathy fits herself in her embrace, leaning her back against her chest. When Cathy pulls her knees up to her chest, Anne pushes then down, leaning a bit lower to let Cathy surrender to full weight. “There you go.”

They enjoy the quiet for a few moments.Cathy adjusts a bit to let the back of her head rest against Anne’s shoulder, and she tentatively intertwines her fingers with Anne’s wrapped around her stomach.

“I trust you,” Anne whispers, keeping her lips pressed against Cathy’s temple. Cathy squeezes her eyes shut, letting out a shuddering breath. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Cathy exhales, leaning into her touch a bit more. “So much. I’m sorry, he was trying to bait me, a-and—,”

“Shh, baby,” Anne croons, squeezing her hands under the water. “I know. I watched the whole thing.”

Cathy pauses for a moment, wanting to know everything that was on her mind.

“I didn’t like where he was getting at, and I hate to admit, but he almost got me, too,” Anne tells her, and Cathy let out a strained whimper. “But then I remembered, you welcomed me into your home. You accepted my daughter, and you’re constantly defending what I do for a living, which is almost unimaginable to me.”

Cathy fits her forehead into the crook of her neck, and Anne kisses the top of her head.

“I’ve told you the first morning I was here that you were the most genuine person I’ve ever met, and that still holds true,” Anne releases one of her hands and cups it, pouring water over Cathy’s chest. “It’s going to take a bit more than one bad interview to get rid of me.”

The water’s finally at a nicer temperature now, and Cathy lets her words sink in.

“Still, though. I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess,” Cathy sniffles, and Anne brings a wet hand up to her cheek, turning her face to look at her.

“I chose to be with you, Cathy. You’ve taken me as I am, I’m just doing the same,” Anne whispers, kissing her tenderly. “Okay?”

Cathy closes her eyes. “Okay.”


	19. Let Me Show That Love Can Rise

After Cathy’s press rounds, things are finally calming down in the household. She sometimes feels like she’s still walking on eggshells despite Anne’s constant reassurance, but she know that it’ll pass and things will hopefully be back to the way they are.

It was around midnight and she was finishing straightening up her study when she hears a sharp cry. In a flash, she runs out and finds Elizabeth sitting on the floor as she wails. Cathy pieces it together in her mind, knowing that she must’ve visited their room and found no one, resorting her to scout the house instead.

Cathy immediately picks Elizabeth up and tries her best to soothe her, swaying side to side as she sees Anne do, but she continues to hiccup and sob into her shoulder, weakly wrapping her legs around her waist.

“It’s okay, Anne’s going to be here soon,” Cathy tells her, and Elizabeth reaches up to clasp her hands around Cathy’s neck, gently digging her little fingernails into her nape. “You’re okay, El, I’m right here. Just cry it out.”

Elizabeth lets out a low wail at her words, but she starts to calm down after a few moments. Cathy starts to make her way upstairs but when she opens the door to her room, Elizabeth shakes her head frantically, her cries threatening to start again.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Cathy coos, immediately bringing her back and going towards her and Anne’s room instead. Elizabeth makes no effort to remove herself from her hold, so Cathy resorts to laying her back against the pillows and allowing the little girl to cling on top of her.

“Mama,” Elizabeth hiccups, balling her shirt in her fists and Cathy combs her hair away from her face.

“She'll be here in a while,” Cathy reminds her, tracing her finger along her spine. Elizabeth shakes her head, lifting it up to look into her eyes.

“Hug tight, Mama,” Elizabeth whimpers out a request, her voice slightly hoarse from crying. Cathy stays still for a moment at the moniker, but when Elizabeth makes another noise, she wraps her arms around her tightly, bringing her knees up to squeeze her in further. Elizabeth visibly relaxes at the external pressure around her little body.

She coos a bit as she snuggles deeper into her already tight embrace, bringing her thumb up to her mouth and her other hand on top of Cathy’s collar bone, letting her fingers tap and splay out over it to expel the little energy she has left.

Cathy’s mind is still reeling from earlier, but she lets herself indulge for this moment, pressing her lips to Elizabeth’s hairline. “Mama’s holding you, El. I’ve got you.”

Elizabeth feels her eyes slowly drooping when Cathy starts to hum a little tune, the rumbling vibrations in her throat soothing the little girl to sleep.

When Anne comes home an hour later, she was pleasantly surprised to see Elizabeth sleeping in the middle of their bed with Cathy curled up around her. Anne quickly dresses down and makes her way under the covers, and Cathy stirs at the movement.

“Sorry,” Anne asks, leaning down to kiss the back of Elizabeth’s head before craning her head up to give Cathy one too. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, all good. She woke up around midnight and looked for me.” Cathy simplifies, not wanting her to worry about her daughter’s meltdown just a few hours earlier. “How was the show?”

“Full house, great tips,” Anne manages a smile. “And Aragon finally has enough to renovate, make the club look a bit prettier.”

The hype that Cathy’s book generated for the club still hasn’t dwindled down, and the performers are thrilled to be dancing to full houses almost every night. The proceeds from the book have been flowing in steadily as well, and Aragon makes sure to payit forward by giving all her employees a salary raise.

“That’s amazing, babe,” Cathy whispers excitedly. Anne nods, yawning a bit. Elizabeth stirs in between them, slowly fluttering her eyes open and looking up at Cathy.

“Sorry for waking you, El. But your Mama’s here,” Cathy lets her know, and Elizabeth lays on her back to see Anne with a small smile on her face.

“Hey, baby girl,” Anne croons kissing her forehead. “Go back to sleep, it’s okay. You’re sleeping with us tonight.”

Anne makes a move to bring her closer but Elizabeth turns back around to bury her face into Cathy’s chest, her arm draping around her middle.

“Hey, El, it’s okay. Go to your Mama,” Cathy whispers, trying to remove her arm from her waist. Elizabeth only whimpers at this, and not wanting her to cry, Cathy immediate wraps her arm around her until she relaxes in her hold.

Anne looks on with a strange smile, scooting towards the middle of the bed to sandwich Elizabeth in between them and pulling Cathy closer.

“It’s alright,” Anne reassures her, running her hands up and down Cathy’s thigh from under the covers. “I love seeing her with you. She started talking a lot more compared to when it was just the two of us.”

Cathy hums, not sure what to say. Anne catches this, squeezing her thigh.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” Cathy starts, but she relents after a few beats of silence. She’s never hidden anything from Anne, why should she start now?

“I just wanted to tell you that, um, she was crying really hard earlier, like the first night you both spent here and she didn’t know where you were,” Cathy explains. “She was calling out your name and I was trying to calm her down but when I brought her up here, she looked at me and called me ‘Mama’ too.”

An undecipherable look casts over Anne’s face, and Cathy was starting to regret her words. She can’t seem to make her mind work as fast as her mouth, and she rambles more and more in a low whisper.

“I was surprised at first but she wouldn’t calm down and I gave in and referred to myself as Mama,” Cathy frowns at her admission. “I know that I should feel bad but I don't. I…I actually loved it. I know how you feel now when she asks for you, it’s like electricity coursing through me and you just know that you’ll do anything to make her feel better. Her calling me that was amazing.”

Anne still stays quiet, her eyes trained on her girl latched on to Cathy. She stills a bit when she follows her gaze and every bone in her body was telling her to release her hold, but she doesn’t want to risk waking her up again.

“I’m so sorry for overstepping, it was selfish of me to claim it or even think about it without talking to you first. I promise I’ll tell her in the morning.”

Cathy sees tears dropping on to Anne’s pillow, and she just knows that she’s broken something within her.

“That can’t be,” Anne swallows, and Cathy was about to talk, to apologize until she feels Anne’s hand withdraw from her thigh. “I’m her only Mama.”

“Anne, I—,”

“I can’t…I don’t want to deal with this right now,” Anne husks out, swiping at her cheeks. “I’m not mad, I promise. I just need time to find out where I went wrong.”

“Yes, of course,” Cathy mumbles, her guilt weighing her down to the bed. Anne turns her body around to face the wall, curling into herself as she drifts to a restless sleep.


	20. Like The Win of the Ages

Anne doesn’t get much sleep.

She couldn’t seem to quiet her mind enough to get through the rest of the night, so when she sees the light peeking through the curtains, she gets up and makes her way downstairs.

Elizabeth, for the most part, has never needed anyone else before and Anne used to skip evenings at the club despite barely scraping by whenever she felt like her daughter needed her the most. Since moving in with Cathy, she’s noticed her girl becoming a bit more independent, no longer begging for her to stay home whenever she needed to leave for work, and has eventually learned to seek comfort from her girlfriend as time went by.

Cathy has stepped up to the plate the minute she found out about Elizabeth’s existence, wanting the little girl to accept her into her life just as much Anne did. She’s been more than hands on with Elizabeth, making sure that the house was properly toddler proofed and taking note of her interests and food preferences. She plays with her in the evenings, and allows her to help out in the kitchen despite how messy things get.

Anne doesn’t blame Cathy for anything, and she also understands why Elizabeth has gone ahead and referred to her as her mother as well. Cathy had become the most solid constant in her daughter’s life apart from herself, and even though she appreciates it, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being so inadequate that she was suddenly just not enough for her girl.

It’s something that both Cathy and Elizabeth clearly want, and she doesn’t know whether to shove her feelings aside or simply accept what’s become.

She pulls away from her thoughts when she sees Cathy appear across the counter, making herself a cup of coffee.

“You want one?” Cathy asks, noticing her gaze. Anne gives her a nod and Cathy pulls out another mug, preparing it how she likes it. Cathy sets the mug in front of her and she cups her hands around the sides, hoping the heat warms her heart too.

“I’ve thought about it a lot,” Anne says, staring into the brown liquid. Cathy pulls out the barstool next to her. “I understand why she called you that, and I understand why you accepted it. I’m gone on most nights and you’re with her practically the whole twenty four hours. It was bound to happen at some point.”

Cathy nods, not trusting herself to say anything helpful. She sips at her coffee.

“I’ve always been enough for her, and with her calling you Mama, it just makes me feel less needed, if you know what I mean,” Anne expresses, burying her face in her hands as she places her elbows on the counter. “When you sprung it on me last night, my mind just shutdown. It felt like I was being replaced.”

Cathy swallows hard. “I’m really sorry for claiming it, and I really don’t mean to weasel myself into anything without you knowing. I would never try to replace you, Anne, I wouldn’t even dare to think about it. I just…I liked when she called me that because it made me feel like I was important in her life too.”

“Of course you’re important to her,” Anne says, looking up from her hands. “I really don’t know how to feel about this, to be honest. I know I sound so selfish right now, but say that she does call you her mum. What if we break up, Cathy? What happens then?”

“You’ve thought about us breaking up?” Cathy asks gently, but her heart was beating furiously against her chest. She hasn’t considered a future without Anne and Elizabeth since they’ve gotten together officially, and to learn that Anne still has doubts about their relationship was absolutely terrifying.

“Oh, God, no,” Anne reassures her, reaching out to hold her hand. “It’s just that...she’s my baby, and I don’t ever want to see her heart broken if something ever happens.”

“Anne, I care about that little girl just as much as you do,” Cathy tells her, squeezing her hand. “You know that I’d do anything for her, the two of you, even, and I swear to God, I’ve been trying my best to show you that every single day. Haven’t I proved myself enough?”

Anne lets her words simmer in her mind for a few moments, flinching when she hears her voice crack at her last statement. Cathy moves to walk away but Anne grabs at her waist to pull her back before she could get any further.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Cathy, I’m sorry,” Anne mumbles into her nape, her eyes closed tight. “That got out of hand real fast.”

“Yeah, it did.” Cathy mutters, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. She brings her arms up to rest on top of the ones around her waist. “Hurting her is the last thing on my mind.”

Anne’s heart grips a little, and she wraps her arms around her middle tighter.

“I know,” Anne whispers. She spots Elizabeth coming down the steps and she presses a soft kiss on her shoulder. “Let’s continue later.”

“Good morning, El,” Anne separates herself from Cathy when she sees her daughter by the bottom step, squatting down to her level to let her run into her arms. “How are you?”

Elizabeth rubs her eyes as she leans her forehead into her shoulder, not yet fully awake.

“What do you want for breakfast, hmm?” Anne prompts, and El turns her head to whisper her request in her ear.

“You want regular pancakes or better pancakes?” Anne frowns, her eyes flickering over to Cathy.

They’ve started calling Cathy’s pick me up breakfast ‘better pancakes’ after Elizabeth’s first morning meltdown in the house, and it was a term they use whenever any of them woke up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning or was in a bad mood the night before. It doesn’t come up very often, but they always have ingredients in stock just in case.

Elizabeth stares at her as she feels her bottom lip tremble, and Anne picks her up in her arms when she sees her eyes mist over. Anne gives Cathy a worried look and she takes that as her cue to start gathering ingredients for the latter, measuring things out for Elizabeth to easily dump in while Anne placates her daughter.

“What’s wrong, El?” Anne coos, swaying a bit. Elizabeth shakes her head, crying softly into her neck. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Elizabeth shakes her head again, wailing frustratedly as she tightens her hold on the fabric of Anne’s shirt.

"Help me out, baby, Mama can't read your mind," Anne urges, but Elizabeth's sobs carry on. Anne holds her tighter, knowing how much she likes the extra pressure, but nothing seems to be working. Cathy finishes leveling the flour before approaching the pair hesitantly, not exactly sure how to after her talk with Anne earlier.

Cathy holds her hand up, hovering it over Elizabeth's shoulder blade and looking up at Anne, silently asking for permission. With a desperate nod, Cathy presses her hand against her back, rubbing small circles around it.

"Hey, sweet girl, I could really use your help with those pancakes," Cathy croons, keeping a firm pressure on her back. "Are you up to it?"

When Elizabeth shakes her head against Anne's neck, Cathy shoots her a worried glance. She’s never turned down an opportunity to help out in the kitchen.

“Are you sure, El?” Cathy tries to peek at Elizabeth’s face burrowed into Anne’s neck, and she only wails louder at her question. "I'll still be making them for you, though, and if ever you want to give me a hand, you can, okay?"

Elizabeth doesn't respond.

“What’s gotten into you, baby?” Anne asks, attempting to sit her down on the counter but she screams the second her body detaches from her mother, forcing her to pull her back. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

Anne finally gets Elizabeth to calm down after a long while, her sobs reduces to hiccups and whimpers. Cathy feels her stomach twist every time her cries would come up to a shrill scream, wanting so much to offer her comfort as well, but she tries to focus on preparing her breakfast because that’s as much as she can do for now.

“Are you alright now, El?” Anne asks as she sits on a barstool, settling her on her lap. Elizabeth straddles her waist, her arms wrapped around her middle.

“Angry,” Elizabeth hiccups, her voice muffled against Anne’s chest. “Sorry.”

“I’m angry or you’re angry?” Anne clarifies, and when Elizabeth brings her hand back and touches her finger to her collarbone, she frowns.

"What gave you that idea, El?" Anne asks incredulously, leaning down and turning her face to the side to hear her better. "I'm not angry."

"I hear," Elizabeth admits, and more tears threaten to fall, her little hands shaking. "I hol' Cathy but you want to hol' me. You turn 'round. Sorry. M'sorry, Mama."

"Oh no, no, baby," Anne exhales, kissing the top of her head fiercely as she rocks her back and forth. Her eyes look up at Cathy for a moment, and she tries not to cry when she sees her swipe at her cheeks as she flips the pancakes over. "I'm not angry about that at all. Nothing to be sorry for, it's okay."

Elizabeth breathes against her neck, relaxing a bit at her words.

“Is that why you won’t help Cathy with the pancakes? I know how much you love to make them,” Anne follows up, and when Elizabeth whimpers, she takes that as a confirmation. “Hey, baby, I’m not mad. If you want to hold Cathy, that’s okay. I know you love her too.”

She says it loud enough for Cathy to hear, and she feels a soft nod against her chest. Anne takes a shaky breath, transferring the both of them to the dining area when she sees Cathy setting the table and placing a tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes in the middle.

Anne sets Elizabeth down on her chair and she swallows hard when she moves herself to climb up to Cathy’s lap, clinging to her tightly and wrapping her arms around her neck.

Elizabeth mumbles a string of apologies into Cathy's shoulder, her whole body trembling. Cathy gives Anne a tentative look before embracing the little girl.

"Shh, s'okay, El." Cathy soothes, bouncing her ever so slightly. “Come on, no more tears. That’s what better pancakes are for.”

They finish up with breakfast and Elizabeth dozes off halfway through eating, exhausted from her morning cries. Cathy still has her on her lap, and she shifts her slightly to get her in a more comfortable position.

"I didn't realize she's heard us last night, I had no idea I made her feel bad for holding you," Anne frowns. “And I made you feel bad this morning, too. Christ, I’m so sorry. I’m a mess.”

"I'm not going to lie, you cut me a bit deep," Cathy forks a bit of pancake into her mouth, trying to keep her voice level. “But this little one rejecting me? I was shattered.”

“I saw you crying earlier. You could’ve just stopped or not made them for her but you still did,” Anne shakes her head, not knowing where to start picking up the broken pieces. "She never would've gotten through this morning without you.”

“I didn’t know what else I could do to help,” Cathy sniffles. “It’s the least I could do.”

They were quiet for a few moments, and Elizabeth shifts on Cathy’s lap, making her reposition her again so that she was almost cradled in her arms. Anne stares at the pair in front of her, taking a deep breath.

“I still don’t want her calling you Mama,” Anne whispers, and she internally berates herself at her harsh choice of words. Cathy swallows thickly, her arms around Elizabeth tightening. “C-can we settle on something else? I don’t want her to get confused.”

Cathy turns her head to look at Anne, and she nods, shutting her eyes tight.

“I don’t want you to allow me this just because you feel bad,” Cathy frowns, looking back down at the sleeping girl in her arms. “I’ll wait. El might be ready but you clearly aren’t yet, and I need to respect that.”

“I keep saying that I trust you but I’ve realized just now that I’ve been holding back from fully giving it to you,” Anne exhales, sitting sideways on her chair to look at her partner better. “I want her to call you her mum. It might just take a while before I get used to it, but I’ll try my hardest.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Cathy looks into Anne’s eyes, and she nods once more, reaching out for her hand. Cathy pulls hers out from under Elizabeth and intertwines it with Anne's, and she lifts them up to kiss her knuckles.

Cathy lets out a hint of a smile. “I’d be honoured.”


	21. But I Tell You I'm The One

They play the next few weeks by ear, not sure where to push, not sure which things are still out of reach.

Despite Anne’s blessing, Cathy doesn’t nudge Elizabeth into calling her mum. Anne's defensive ferocity is still fresh in her mind, and she doesn’t reinforce it as much as she should either, her heart still prideful and grasping at the little thing that she can still call hers even though her mind says otherwise.

It's getting exhausting, tiptoeing around each other. They're walking together without knowing where exactly they want to go, and at this point, Anne is starting to wonder if there’s more to what they can have and what else she has to offer.

“Do you have any plans tonight?” Anne asks, her back against the headboard. Cathy sits next to her, leaning slightly on her shoulder but doesn’t give her full weight, her body ready to recoil.

“Not really,” Cathy toys with her fingers. “Won’t you be at the club?”

“Not tonight, remember?” Anne frowns. Cathy usually has her schedule memorized, and her heart grips at how she knows that she’s trying to withdraw from her. Tries not to sound too enthusiastic or committed. “Hey, can we talk?”

“You don’t have to ask, just talk,” Cathy looks dull and sounds exhausted, and it doesn’t settle well with Anne, knowing that she’s the only one who could’ve done this to her. “What is it about this time?”

“Cathy—,”

“Just let me know so I don’t do it again,” Cathy pulls away, laying her head down on the pillow instead. She faces her but she doesn’t meet her eyes. “I’ve stopped reading to El, just so you know. In case she gets too attached.”

“Please, Cath.”

“I don’t wait up for you anymore because you told me before that you didn’t like it—,”

“Only because you shouldn’t be staying up later than you should.”

Cathy ignores her quip, choosing to carry on. Her fingers grip at the bedsheets, hoping desperately they were Anne’s instead.

“I know that I overstep, that I remember every little detail about you. I can’t help it but I promise I’m trying not to anymore,” Cathy feels a tear roll down her cheek. “I don’t want to move forward without you letting me know that it’s okay.”

Anne scoots down, and Cathy whimpers when Anne does reach for her hand. She gently pries her fingers away from the bedsheet, intertwining them with hers instead.

“Cathy, I’m sorry,” Anne reaches up to Cathy’s face to catch a tear with her thumb. “I’m so, so sorry, baby.”

Cathy lets out a deep exhale, squeezing her hand ever so slightly. There’s nothing to forgive.

“I thought that we were alright after that morning but you were pulling farther away. I don’t know where we are anymore,” Anne admits, her thumb running back and forth across her cheek. Cathy keeps her gaze locked down, doesn’t want to see the hurt in her eyes. “Don’t shut me out.”

“Easier said than done,” Cathy tries to bite the bitterness out of her tone, but Anne catches it, knowing her just as well as she does, and she furrows her eyebrows defensively.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Anne voice rises a bit, but it’s enough to put Cathy’s mind into overdrive. She notices her slowly curling into herself, and Anne reaches for her shoulder only for her to flinch at her touch.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Anne tries again, gentler this time. She tentatively wraps her arm around Cathy, and she can’t help but melt into her embrace, she hates how quickly she yields. “I’m trying to figure this out, too. You’re the longest relationship I’ve ever been in and I don’t…I’ve never had to introduce El to anyone that I know I won’t be with in the long run. But we’ve been living together for almost a year now—,”

"In three days." Cathy can't stop herself from letting her know what she remembers, and Anne swallows thickly.

"It'll be a year in three days, yeah,” Anne breathes. “I hate that it took me so long to realize that I’m still keeping my walls up. These past few weeks, I hate that I was so prepared for this to fail so I can just get up and run, that I’m still in denial that what we have is something that I’ll never find anywhere else.”

“What are you trying to say?” Cathy murmurs, almost in a fetal position, her shins pressing against Anne’s stomach.

“I’ve been so unfair to you when all you’ve been is wonderful to me. You deserve the whole world, Cathy, so much more than what I’m giving you,” Cathy finally snaps her eyes up, searching for disappointment or anger but she can't seem to read her today. “I have nothing else to offer, but I know that I can't give you more with where we are right now.”

Cathy doesn’t speak for a while, lets her words echo in her mind but they bounce around, not really settling in. Her body feels heavy, and she wants nothing more than let the bed swallow her whole.

Anne opens her mouth to speak but she hears a faint knock on the door, Elizabeth shyly peering her head inside. Anne sighs, a telling sign that they'll have to shelve the conversation until later. 

“I’ll cook dinner tonight,” Anne tells her, but she poses it as a question. She waits for Cathy to nod, and Anne resists the urge to run her fingers through her hair to soothe her, to let her know that they’ll be okay. “See you downstairs.”

Anne gets up from the bed and attends to her daughter, leaving Cathy alone with her thoughts. She doesn’t want her to leave, doesn’t want to entertain the possibility of an uncomplicated life without her—she likes how different it is now. Apart from the past few weeks, she loves that her days have been filled with more laughter that she can imagine, more love that she knows what to do with that it spills out in waves.

Anne’s making dinner, which is a good sign that she’s still staying around, but Cathy can’t help but let her imagination run free and she doesn’t look forward to the day when she’s waking up alone and eating back at the kitchen counter again.

She lets the hours pass by, doesn’t let herself move from her place on the bed until she feels a tiny finger gently poking at her spine. She knows it’s Elizabeth, and she wants nothing else but to take her into her arms carry her downstairs, to kiss her little face and tell her how much she loves her.

She turns around to look at her instead, her arms against her chest and clenched fists under her chin. Elizabeth takes one of her hands and pulls her to stand, and she tries not to sway on her feet after lying down for so long. She holds her hand the entire time as she leads her downstairs, and she sees Anne already sitting in her place at the table.

She’s made her favourite food, and Cathy feels the finality of it all.

She gulps some air into her lungs, trying to steady her quivering heart and the tremors in her hands start—she feels them under her skin but it’s not enough for Elizabeth to notice. She lets the little one sit first before taking her place next to Anne, and she wishes for time to slow down and speed up at the same time.

“I still can’t get it to taste the way you make it, but I hope it’s close enough,” Anne breaks the silence, spooning a bit of it for her before adding some to her own plate. Elizabeth doesn’t care much for it, and Cathy notices that she was digging into her personal bowl of mac and cheese.

“I appreciate it though, thanks,” Cathy mumbles before taking a bite. She’s right about it not tasting the same, but it’s a good different, almost preferring it to how she makes it simply because Anne had made it for her. She acknowledges her effort and take another bite with a bit more gusto. “It’s good.”

“I’m glad,” Anne manages a light smile. They eat in relatively comfortable silence, never mind the tension hanging above them. Elizabeth finishes first, and she jumps down her seat to walk over to Cathy, a shy smile playing on her lips.

“Dessert, please?” Elizabeth asks sweetly, her voice almost whispering. “I finish.”

Cathy usually obliges without question, but her eyes dart to Anne almost frantically, not knowing how to answer a simple request.

“Mummy’s not yet done eating, El,” Anne tells her, leading her to sit back on her chair. Elizabeth pouts but obeys, her arms crossing over her chest. Cathy freezes, her spoon clattering against the plate. Her heart hammers against her chest, and it takes a while for her to feel herself breathe again.

“Don’t do that,” Cathy forces out, her throat closing against her own volition. “Please.”

“Don’t do what? I thought we agreed on—,”

“Please don’t tell her to call me that if you’re breaking up with me,” Cathy slams her eyes shut, her fingers gripping tightly on the table. “It’s not fair for any of us.”

“Break up with you?” Anne frowns, turning her body to the side to face her. “Love, I’m not—,”

“Love, baby, sweetheart,” Cathy lists down hysterically, her sobs spilling out of her chest. “Stop! Please, just stop, I can’t—,”

“Cathy.” Anne doesn’t raise her voice, doesn’t want to spook her, but she kneels on the floor to wrap her arms around her middle. Cathy squirms in her hold, weakly trying to pry her arms off but Anne only tightens her grasp, not wanting her to slip away. “Cathy, I’m not breaking up with you.”

“Y-you’re not?” Cathy sniffles, her hands coming up to wipe her cheeks. “But you said—,”

“I don’t mean it like that,” Anne pushes her forehead into her arm, her lips pressing against just above her elbow. “You’re the writer between the two of us. I’m no good with words, all I know is how to shake my tits and take my clothes off.”

That gets a chuckle out of Cathy, and the room brightens a bit.

“You have done so much for me, for us, and I know you deserve so much more, but I want to spend the rest on my life returning the favour,” Anne pulls out a ring from her back pocket—a simple silver band with a diamond in the middle of two smaller ones—and presses it into her palm. “If you’ll have me.”

Cathy switches between looking at the ring in her hand and Anne’s eager look. A few moments pass, and Anne's resolve begins to waver until a smile finds its way on Cathy's face before leaning down, pressing her lips against hers. It’s desperate and messy and necessary, and Cathy’s teeth graze against Anne’s bottom lip as she grins.

“Yes,” Cathy whispers in between kisses. She doesn’t hear herself the first time, blood rushes to her ears and pure joy warms over her body. “Yes, Anne.”

“Oh, God, thank you,” Anne pulls away for a moment to take the ring from her hand and sliding it on her finger. She doesn’t give Cathy time to admire it as she kisses her again, making them giggle and laugh, nearly forgetting the tears they shed earlier.

“And to think…” Cathy lets her words die down, shaking her head as she stares at the ring on her finger. “It's just...this doesn’t fix everything that we’ve fought about.”

“It doesn’t,” Anne concedes, sitting back on her chair. Elizabeth walks around the table and settles herself on her mother’s lap, wanting to be a part of the moment. Anne wraps one of her arms around her daughter, but keeps one hand on top of Cathy’s. “But it does mean that I’m promising to work through all of them with you, to talk them out, no matter how big or small that may be. We don’t have to fix everything tonight, we still have tomorrow and the rest of our lives for that.”

Cathy squeezes her hand, and Anne leans down to kiss her knuckles, her thumb stroking over the back of her palm. Elizabeth whispers something in Anne’s ear, and she muffles her laughter against her— _their_ —daughter’s shoulder.

“Our girl demands dessert.” Anne smiles, and Cathy finds herself laughing too, her heart stuttering against her chest at her words. She takes a chocolate bar from the pantry and unwraps it as she walks back to the table, snapping off a row and handing it to Elizabeth.

She eagerly grabs the treat, transferring herself from Anne’s lap to Cathy’s. She wraps her arms around her middle, resting her chin on her shoulder. She turns her head and presses light kisses on Elizabeth’s cheek, nuzzling it with her nose right after.

“I love you, El,” Cathy whispers, closing her eyes as she tilts her head up to press her lips against her temple. “So, so much.”

Elizabeth doesn’t respond, still occupied by her dessert, but she leans her back against her, snuggling deeper into her hold and letting her know that she feels the same.

Anne stares at the both of them with a tenderness she reserves for moments like these, wondering what exactly she had done to have deserved so much. Cathy catches her glance and Anne moves her chair closer, raising her hand to place it on Elizabeth’s knee.

Anne looks directly into Cathy’s eyes, trying to find the exact words to let her know just how much she means to her, how much she loves her, but her mind comes up blank. She gives her a meaningful smile instead, and Cathy returns it almost immediately, reassuring and comforting and understanding everything that she can’t seem to say.

Anne takes a deep breath, ready to dive in.

“This is my heart. It’s yours. I’m not protecting it anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End. I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it. <3
> 
> Thank you all so much for your kudos and reviews and overall love for this fic! If you've got any questions or just wanna chat about it, you can also find me on tumblr (little-bit-lost-and-found).
> 
> Sending you all my love! x


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